Fiat motorised Italy – and quite a few other countries besides, including Brazil, Spain, Russia, Poland and Turkey. The old Fiat 500 remains as much a part of Italian culture as buzzing Vespas and gliding gondolas. The new 500e, on the other hand, is one of the world’s most desirable small electric cars.
Fiat has been an innovator in big cars and sports cars, and arguably produced the world’s first ‘people carrier’ MPV – the 1956 Multipla 600. Yet it’s most famous for its small cars, and here its reputation is second to none. As well as the tiny classic 1957 500 – or Cinquecento – that motorised post-war Italy, there’s been the 1970 Fiat 128 (one of the most pioneering of all small cars), the utilitarian little Panda (still Italy’s best-selling car) and the fashionable new 500, including its new electric version.
Founded in 1899, as Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, its name celebrates its country of provenance and its city, Turin. At one stage it was Europe’s biggest car maker. It controlled Ferrari for many years, bought Alfa Romeo in 1986, Maserati in 1993 and remains one of the world’s most global car makers, if still resolutely Italian. It did post-war licensing deals with the Soviet Russian government (early Lada cars were rebadged Fiats), in Spain (early Seats were also Fiats) and remains one of the market leaders in Brazil and Turkey. In 2009, Fiat took a controlling stake in American car maker Chrysler.
Fiat’s founding Agnelli family remains Italy’s most famous dynasty, and founder Giovanni Agnelli’s great-great grandson John Elkann remains Chairman of Fiat’s holding company – as well as Chairman of Ferrari (and owner of Turin-based Juventus football club). Elkann’s grandfather Gianni Agnelli – grandson of Fiat founder Giovanni – ran Fiat from 1966-96 and was Italy’s most famous businessman as well as a fashion icon (Esquire magazine named him as one of the five best dressed men in history).
Elkann oversaw the merger in 2021 between Fiat-Chrysler and PSA to form Stellantis – the company that now controls Peugeot, Citroën, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Jeep as well as Fiat.
Today Fiat is best known in the UK for its excellent small cars, the Panda and 500 (including electric 500e). It also has a long history in vans, including today’s small Fiorano and big Ducato.
Hendy currently represents Fiat at 1 outlet in Poole, Dorset.
The evolution of the logos that marked the history of Fiat.
.jpg.webp)
.jpg.webp){kind=logo}
