How FIAT® Shaped the Automotive Industry
The history of FIAT in the automotive industry is rich with innovation and evolution. From its first model to modern-day achievements, the automaker has always been at the forefront of the car-making world. This innovation has provided the groundwork for modern features, technology, and design aesthetics. FIAT has pushed the envelope, forcing the competition to follow suit, and as a result, has left a mark on the automotive world.
By identifying needs and predicting trends, FIAT has always stayed ahead, inviting other manufacturers to try and keep up. The result: a company built on hunting down success and invention. This automaker has never just made cars that are more advanced, it's also built machines that are crafted around the driving experience. With its fair share of roots in the automotive industry, FIAT understands what it takes to make a vehicle perform well, under any conditions.
Above: Carlo Abarth, one of the orginal founders and designers of FIAT cars (1965).
Every Great Super Hero Has an Origin Story
Ever wonder what FIAT stands for? The next time you need a factoid to wow your friends, this one will knock their socks off. FIAT stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, or Italian Automobile Factory of Turin. You’re welcome.
Originally formed as a holding company in 1899 by Giovanni Agnelli, FIAT has been producing cars for more than one hundred years and has actually been exporting cars to the United States since 1908, albeit not consistently. The year 1910 saw the company have its first physical presence in the US when a FIAT plant opened in Poughkeepsie, New York.
The company’s very first car, produced in 1899, was simply named the 4 HP. Several years later in 1906, FIAT began producing commercial equipment like trucks, trains, and buses. It then turned its energy toward manufacturing aircraft engines in 1908. Since the very beginning, FIAT has expanded and influenced a range of markets, and it has set the standard for other companies to follow.
Above: The Fiat Abarth 750 (1956).
Transformation into a Global Giant
Now part of the massive Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group, FIAT has seen numerous ownership changes and has been the parent company for a wide range of brands, including Ferrari and Maserati. As one of the largest car companies in the world, it currently owns more than a dozen brands and companies associated with the automotive business, operates in some 140 countries, and employs over 200,000 people worldwide.
FIAT and Chrysler partnered up in 2009 when the Italian company purchased a 20-percent stake in its American counterpart. Then, in 2014, FIAT purchased the entirety of Chrysler and formed the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that we know today.
Over the years, there have been numerous high-profile individuals that have manned the FCA helm, but none more so than the late Sergio Marchionne (picture above). Always sporting his trademark black sweater, Marchionne was appointed CEO in 2004 and brought the company into new emerging markets, expanded the product range of all its brands, and reintroduced FIAT to the North American market with the funky and fresh FIAT 500 city car (pictured below) and its numerous exciting iterations.
FIAT is still committed to changing the automotive industry, and it remains a leader in efficiency, performance, and luxury. Visit Client at 505 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516 or contact our sales staff online today and let us show you how the rich history of FIAT has helped this brand generate some of the best vehicles on the market today.
Image Credit: FIAT