Fiat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
FIAT Automobiles S.p.A.

Mirafiori, headquarters and industrial district of Fiat in Turin, pictured in 2020
Type	Subsidiary (S.p.A.)
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor	Fiat S.p.A. (1899–2014)
Founded	1899; 126 years ago (1899)
Founder	Giovanni Agnelli
Headquarters	Lingotto, Turin , Italy
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	John Elkann (acting president) Olivier François (CEO)
Products	Automobiles, electric vehicles
Production output	1,330,000 units (2019)
Owner	Stellantis
Parent	Stellantis Europe
Subsidiaries	Fiat India Fiat Serbia

Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian company that makes cars. It is often just called Fiat. The name FIAT stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, which means "Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin".

Fiat started way back in 1899. It was once part of a bigger company called Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Since 2021, it has been a part of Stellantis, a large group of car brands.

Fiat Automobiles is the biggest car maker in Italy. For over 20 years, it was also one of the largest car manufacturers in Europe and the third largest in the world. This was after companies like General Motors and Ford.

In 1970, Fiat had over 100,000 workers in Italy. They made 1.4 million cars that year. Fiat cars are now built in many places around the world. Brazil is one of the biggest production countries outside Italy. Fiat has won many awards for its cars. It has also been recognized for having low CO2 emissions from its vehicles.

History of Fiat

Left: The people who started Fiat. Right: The Fiat 4 HP, Fiat's very first car.

Fiat was started on July 11, 1899. Giovanni Agnelli was one of the people who helped create the company. The first Fiat factory opened in 1900. It had 35 workers and made 24 cars.

Fiat quickly became known for its smart engineers. By 1903, Fiat was making a small profit. They produced 135 cars that year. By 1906, they made 1,149 cars. The company then started selling shares to the public on the Milan stock exchange.

Giovanni Agnelli led the company until he passed away in 1945. The first Fiat car was called the 3 ½ CV. Only 24 of these cars were built. In 1903, Fiat made its first truck. By 1908, Fiat cars were being sold in the United States. Around the same time, Fiat also started making airplane engines. Fiat taxis became very popular in Europe.

An advertisement for FIAT from 1899.

By 1910, Fiat was the biggest car company in Italy. They even built a new factory in Poughkeepsie, New York, in the US. Owning a Fiat car back then showed you were important. A Fiat car in the US cost much more than a Ford Model T.

During World War I, Fiat made many things for the war effort. They built aircraft, engines, machine guns, trucks, and ambulances. After the war, Fiat introduced its first tractor. By the early 1920s, Fiat made 80% of all cars in Italy.

In 1921, workers took control of Fiat's factories for a short time. The Italian Socialist Party helped resolve the situation, and the workers returned to their jobs. In 1922, Fiat started building the famous Lingotto car factory. It was the largest in Europe when it opened in 1923. This factory was the first Fiat plant to use assembly lines. By 1925, Fiat controlled 87% of the Italian car market.

During World War II, Fiat made military vehicles and planes for the Italian Army. The Agnelli family was temporarily removed from leading Fiat because of their connections to the government at the time. They returned to leadership in 1963. Giovanni's grandson, Gianni Agnelli, became the general manager.

In 1970, Fiat had over 100,000 workers in Italy. They produced 1.4 million cars that year. By 2002, Fiat built over 1 million vehicles at six factories in Italy.

In 2014, Fiat S.p.A. joined with Chrysler to form a new company called Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Then, in 2019, FCA joined with another car maker, PSA Group. The new big company was named Stellantis in 2020.

Where Fiat Cars Are Sold

Europe

Places where Fiat cars were sold around the world in 2012.

Europe is Fiat's main market, especially Italy. Fiat is very good at making small city cars and superminis. These small cars make up most of its sales. Fiat does not currently make large family cars or luxury cars. Other brands owned by Fiat, like Lancia and Alfa Romeo, cover those types of cars.

Fiat's share of the European market changed over the years. In 2000, it was 9.4 percent. By 2004, it dropped to 5.8 percent. Then, Sergio Marchionne became Fiat's chief executive. By March 2009, Fiat's market share grew to 9.1 percent.

Fiat built its five-story Lingotto factory between 1915 and 1918. It was the largest car factory in Europe at that time. Later, the Mirafiori plant was built in Turin. Fiat also opened the Rivalta plant in 1968 to make the new Fiat 128.

Fiat Punto

Fiat Panda Cross

Fiat 500X

Fiat's current car models include:

• City car: Fiat 500, Fiat Panda
• Compact car: Fiat Tipo
• Mini MPV: Fiat 500L
• Mini SUV: Fiat 500X
• Roadster: Fiat 124 Spider

Fiat also sells light commercial vehicles in Europe. These are sold under the brand Fiat Professional.

South America

Fiat Uno, a car made especially for Brazil.

Fiat has invested a lot in South America, especially in Brazil and Argentina. Fiat has been the market leader in Brazil for many years. They built their first car factory in Brazil in 1973.

The cars sold in Brazil are similar to those in Europe. But there are also special models made just for that region. These include the Palio, Siena, Palio Weekend, and Strada.

Recently, new models designed in Brazil have been launched. These are the Pulse, Fiorino, Toro, Argo, and Mobi. Some European models are also imported to Brazil, like the 500e from Italy.

North America

Fiat returned to North America in 2011 with the new Fiat 500.

In 1908, Fiat started a company in the United States. They built luxury cars there. This factory closed in 1917 when the US joined World War I.

Fiat came back to North America in the 1950s. They sold models like the original 500 and the Fiat 600 Multipla. Fiat left the US car market in 1983.

In 2009, the Fiat Group bought a part of the US car maker Chrysler. This brought the Fiat brand back to North America after 25 years. The first Fiat car to return was the popular Fiat 500 city car. This car is built in Mexico. Fiat also sells its commercial vehicles, like the Fiat Ducato and Fiat Doblò, in North America. These are sold under different names.

Fiat stopped making the Fiat 500 in 2019. They also stopped making the 124 Spider and 500L models in 2020. Fiat has announced that a new electric car, the 500e, will be released in 2024.

Africa

Fiat started assembling cars in South Africa in 1950. Full production began in 1966. Fiat also assembled cars in Egypt.

In 2022, Fiat and the Algerian government made a deal. They plan to produce vehicles in Algeria and help grow the car industry there.

Asia

Fiat Viaggio

Fiat's presence in China is smaller compared to other car brands. In 2012, Fiat and GAC opened a factory together. They started making the Fiat Viaggio, a car made especially for the Chinese market.

Fiat sells the 500 and the Panda models to customers in Japan.

Fiat has been in the Indian market since 1948. They worked with Tata Motors for a while.

Current Production

Cars in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)

• A-segment - Fiat 500: This small car was first made between 1957 and 1975. It was redesigned in 2007 and is now sold worldwide.
• A-segment - Fiat New 500: This is the all-electric version of the New 500, introduced in 2020.
• A-segment - Fiat Panda: This is another popular city car from Fiat. The current version came out in 2012.
• C-segment - Fiat Tipo
• B-segment - Fiat 500X
• B-segment - Fiat 600 (2023)
• Minivan - Fiat Ulysse
• Minivan - Fiat E-Doblò

• 

  Fiat Panda

• 

  Fiat 500

• 

  Fiat 500 Electric

• 

  Fiat 500X

• 

  Fiat Tipo

• 

  Fiat Ulysse

Cars in Latin America (LATAM)

• Fiat Mobi
• Fiat Argo
• Fiat Cronos
• Fiat Pulse
• Fiat Fastback
• Fiat Strada
• Fiat Toro
• Fiat Fiorino
• Fiat Ducato

• 

  Fiat Mobi

• 

  Fiat Argo

• 

  Fiat Cronos

• 

  Fiat Pulse

• 

  Fiat Fastback

• 

  Fiat Strada

• 

  Fiat Toro

European Car of the Year Awards

The European Car of the Year award is a very important prize for cars. Fiat Group has won this award twelve times in the last forty years. This is more than any other car maker! Nine of these awards were won by Fiat Automobiles models.

Fiat models that won the award:

• 1967: Fiat 124
• 1970: Fiat 128
• 1972: Fiat 127
• 1984: Fiat Uno
• 1989: Fiat Tipo
• 1995: Fiat Punto
• 1996: Fiat Bravo/Brava
• 2004: Fiat Panda
• 2008: Fiat 500
• 2011: Fiat doblo

CO2 Emissions

Fiat Automobiles is one of Europe's top 10 best-selling car brands. For several years, it has had the lowest average CO₂ emissions from the cars it sells. CO₂ is a gas that contributes to climate change. This means Fiat cars are often more environmentally friendly.

Electric Vehicles

Fiat started working on electric vehicles way back in the 1970s. They showed off some early ideas like the Fiat X1/23 concept car. In 2008, Fiat also showed the Phylla concept.

Fiat worked with power companies in Brazil to make new electric vehicles. In 2009, they produced the Palio Weekend Electric.

In 2013, Fiat launched the electric 500e in California. At first, it was expensive to make, but Fiat kept working on electric cars. Fiat's CEO, Sergio Marchionne, was very interested in how electric cars could be made profitably.

Concept Vehicles

Fiat has created many interesting concept vehicles over the years. These are special cars made to show new ideas and designs. They often don't go into full production.

Motorsport

Fiat cars have also been successful in car racing, especially in rallying. In 1971, the Fiat 124 Sport Spider was used in the World Rally Championship. It won several races in the early 1970s.

The Fiat 131 Abarth was an even more successful rally car. Between 1976 and 1981, it won 18 World Rally Championship events. It also helped Fiat win the WRC Drivers Championship twice and the WRC Constructors Championship three times.

Later, another company in the Fiat Group, Lancia, took over the main role in motorsport. After a long break, Fiat cars started winning again in rallying in the 2000s. A Fiat Punto S1600 won the Italian Rally Championship in 2003. The Fiat Grande Punto S2000 won the FIA European Rally Championship in 2006, and then three more times in a row from 2009 to 2011.

Marketing

Logo

The letters FIAT were first used in a special logo design in 1901. In 1931, the company started using a simple red shield logo. In 1968, a new "rhomboid" logo was introduced. This logo had the letters FIAT inside four connected diamond shapes.

In 1999, Fiat brought back an older style logo with a wreath around it. This was to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary.

• 

  1899

• 

  1901

• 

  1904

• 

  1921

• 

  1925

• 

  1931

• 

  1932

• 

  1938

• 

  1959

• 

  1965

• 

  1968–1999

• 

  1999–2007

• 

  2007–2022

• 

  2020–present

Motor Village Stores

Fiat started its "Motor Village" concept in 2006. These are big, special stores where people can see many different Fiat cars. The first one was in Turin, Italy. Later, they opened Motor Villages in London and Paris.

BSM-Fiat Deal

In 2009, a driving school in the UK called BSM made a deal with Fiat. They decided to use the new Fiat 500 as their main car for students learning to drive. Fiat UK was expected to provide 14,000 cars to BSM over four years.

See also

In Spanish: Fiat para niños

• CMD – Costruzioni Motori Diesel S.p.A.