Fiat has been Italy’s largest car manufacturer since 1910, though the Fiat Group branches out into many different industries. Founded in 1889, the company opened its first factory in the following year and began foreign exports in 1908.
During the World Wars Fiat was concerned with supplying the Italian military, based mainly at its Lingotto factory in Turin. Completed in 1923, it was the largest in the world at the time and featured five floors. Construction would begin on the ground floor and cars would move up through the building to the rooftop for testing on the factory’s own track.
In 1969 Fiat began its acquisition of other motor companies with Lancia and Ferrari. Although Ferrari is now an autonomous company the Fiat Group owns a 56% controlling share. The group also briefly owned Citroën, and in 1986 purchased Alfa Romeo from the Italian government. In 1993 one of Ferrari’s main rivals – Maserati – was brought under the Fiat banner.
Despite a reputation for building cheap, unreliable cars Fiat have won the European Car of the Year Award on eight occasions since 1967, most recently with the Panda model in 2004 and the Brava/Bravo combination in 1996. It is generally accepted that the quality of Fiat cars has vastly improved in modern times, although many puns remain – such as the suggested acronym “Fix It Again, Tony”.
Fiat’s future in the automobile industry is uncertain, as it has been sustaining losses for several years. In 2005 the Fiat Group tried and failed to sell its automotive division to General Motors, though a possibility of a deal with Ford remains. In recent years Fiat has attempted to create a revitalised image for the brand by sponsoring the Jamaican bobsledding team.
EuroNCAP Safety Ratings for Fiat cars
The European New Car Assessment Programme produces reports on the safety of vehicles based on the results of several crash tests. As well as measuring how the car will hold up in a crash the risk to a pedestrian struck by the car is assessed. The star ratings (maximum 5) of key Fiat models are shown below.
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