O.K. It took me a while, but here are a few further remarks to fill you in a bit more regarding the vehicle you had a near death experience with in Italy back in 1943!
Basically, the Italian Army's experience with four wheel drive / four wheel steering vehicles dates back to the first world war with the Pavesi Tolotti artillery tractor, which was quite an ingenious contraption, there being no chassis as such with the front and rear parts of the vehicle being joined together via a central pivot allowing the front part to be tilted at a different angle to the rear (there was no suspension at the wheels), whilst steering was accomplished via a central pinion, with both parts of the vehicle abuting against this with half moon shaped racks. The Pavesi Tolotti gun tractor had phenomenal off road abilities for the time allied to the minisule turning circle deemed neccessary for operations in the mountain regions where the fighting was in world war one. The vehicle must have impressed the British Army too, since Armstrong-Siddeley apparently obtained a producion licence and one example was put through it's paces by the WVEE in 1929, although I don't know how many (if any) were actually built.
Into the thirties, Italian military doctrine had changed very little from 1918, so with a breathtaking disregard for the fact that it might have to defend vast areas of desert in a future war it commisioned a new range of artillery tractors with four wheel steering. The two new models, known as the SPA Trattore Leggero 1937 (TL 37) and SPA Trattore Medio 1940 (TM 40) were much more sophisicated than their predecessors however, having a proper chassis that allowed for greatly increased stowage capabilities and incorporating a new type of four wheel drive/steering that was known as "volta corretta" (corrected steering). Basically, drive was taken from the gearbox to a massive central transfer case from which emerged four transmission shafts, each of which led to one of the hubs, each of which incorporated a differential. Suspension was independent all round. Both types were similar in basic layout, with open top "torpedo" bodywork, but the TL 37 was powered by a 4 litre sidevalve, whilst the much larger foreward control TM 40 used a 9.4 litre diesel. They were probably the best softskin vehicles produced under the aegis of the "Regio Esercito", although not really ideal for the wide open spaces of North Africa and Russia where the majority were sent. The TL 37 and TM 40 chassis were also adapted to a variety of other roles, but I'll stop here otherwise I'll never finish!
Hope this has been of interest,
Stef
Will post some photos as soon as poss.