Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli.
Besides automobiles, Fiat has also manufactured railway engines and carriages, military vehicles, and aircraft during its century long history.
Today, the Fiat group is the largest carmaker in Italy and the world's ninth largest carmaker.
Production output: 2,094,048 units
Revenue: 35.88 billion euros (2010)
Operating income: 992 million euros (2010)
Profit:179 million euros(2010)
Total assets: 73.44 billion euros (end 2010)
Total equity: 12.46 billion euros (end 2010)
about Fiat's history...
Its first car the 3 ½ CV (of which only eight copies were built, all bodied by Alessio of Turin) strongly resembled contemporary Benz, and had a 697 cc (42.5 cu in) boxer twin engine.
In 1903, Fiat produced its first truck. In 1908, the first Fiat was exported to the US. That same year, the first Fiat aircraft engine was produced.
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Also around the same time, Fiat taxis became somewhat popular in Europe. By 1910, Fiat was the largest automotive company in Italy - a position it has retained since.
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In 1910, Fiat established a plant in the US. The cost of a Fiat in the US was between $3,600 and $8,600, compared to 825 the Model T in 1908.
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Fiat was the largest automotive company in Italy - a position it has retained since.
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The Lingotto factory (1912-1925)
In 1916 the construction of Lingotto started under the direction of Giacomo Matte Trucco.
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The Factory, the largest in Europe, occupied five floors and had a futuristic test track on the roof. It soon became the emblem of the Italian automotive industry and was completed in 1922.
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Falling back on the domestic market (1926-1938)
During the years of Mussolini's autarchic policy, Fiat too had to rescale its plans for international presence and concentrate on the domestic market.
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In the thirties, trucks and commercial vehicles underwent considerable technological development and at the same time the aviation and railway sectors grew.
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Second World War (1939-1951)
During the war years there was a drastic reduction in the production of cars, while the construction of commercial vehicles increased considerably.
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Diesel (1952-1964)
In 1953 the first Fiat diesel engine vehicle was presented, the 1400 diesel.
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Economic boom and social unrest (1965-1977)
Growth continued in exports as well as production: the trend showed an increase from one car every 96 inhabitants to one every 28.
In the meantime Fiat boosted its presence in southern Italy by setting up numerous factories there.
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There was also an increase in trade union conflicts: in 1969 total hours on strike reached 15 million.
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The Robogate system (1978 to 1990)
In 1978 the "Robogate" system was created. It was a flexible robotised system for assembling the bodywork.
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It was the road to innovation and the automation of production.
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The new cars of the 1990s
After the debut of the Fiat Tempra in 1990, the 500 came out in 1991.
Two years later, in 1993, it was the moment of Fiat Punto (named 'Car of the Year' in 1995) and Fiat Coupe, with bodywork designed by Pininfarina and Centro Stile Fiat.
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The restyling of the logo on Fiat Idea
Fiat Idea was the first MPV created by Fiat but also the first car with the task of communicating the brand's new 'mission'.
Fiat Idea displayed the round logo, renewed and proposed by Centro Stile Fiat to evoke the emblem designed to celebrate the Company's 100th Anniversary.
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It was also meant to get across the most significant change in Fiat car design: more attention to high-tech content and intelligent solutions designed to simplify several aspects of daily life in the car.
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Fiat is the largest vehicle manufacturer in Italy, with cars ranging from small Fiat city cars to sports cars made by Ferrari, and vans and trucks such as the Ducato.
Besides Fiat Group Automobiles, the Fiat Group automotive companies include Ferrari and Maserati.
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The Fiat Group Automobiles companies include: Abarth & C, Alfa Romeo Automobiles, Chrysler Group LLC, Fiat Automobiles, Fiat Professional and Lancia Automobiles, Ferrari is 90 per cent owned by the Fiat Group.
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