Anyone who thinks that Fiat has only ever built small cars is seriously mistaken. In 1904, for example, there was a model with 12/18 kW (16/24 HP) and it looked sporty. In 1906 over 200 km/h were achieved
and in 1907 a racing car with 96 kW (130 hp) won the French Grand Prix. In the new world, for example, a Grand Prix was also won in 1911. In between, Fiat built gasoline engines with a displacement of up to
22 liters. Fiat successfully took part in races for at least 20 years. In 1954 there were even tests with gas turbine vehicles.
Fiat introduced modern production methods earlier than any other European manufacturer in 1919. They also didn't shy away from copying from others (e.g. Fiat 501 - Citroen A). But Fiat also gave the car world
boosts in development. For example, with the Topolino ('little mouse') from 1936, a prime example of compact design at the time, independent front suspension and consumption of less than 5 l/100km. It only
had 570 cm3 and its 10 kW (13 HP) was good enough to carry two people with luggage. Even his third and fourth (!) gears were already synchronized.
Perhaps Fiat's reputation as a particularly skilled small car manufacturer was established here or even before. On the other hand, Fiat was also able to build the 'Super-Fiat' for the American market, for example.
In 1912 it already had 12 V-shaped cylinders, overhead valves and a four-wheel brake supported by negative pressure. However, even back then the company had difficulty marketing large cars.
After Agnelli's death, there was a phase in which Vittorio Valletta ran the factory very successfully. The grandson followed, also named Giovanni Agnelli, who gave up his previously somewhat easier life when he
took over the management of Fiat. The company was so successful until the 1980s that it eventually had the largest production capacity in Europe in terms of unit numbers. It had more than 30 factories, some of
which were scattered across the continents, and had well over 150,000 employees.
Unfortunately, success also means responsibility, which meant that almost all Italian producers gradually gathered under the skirt of the parent company Fiat, measures that did not benefit their economic
success. The penultimate state of affairs is that General Motors has just bought its way out of a partnership with Fiat for a lot of money. After that, the company seems to pull itself out of the swamp once again
with successful small cars, e.g. the Fiat 500.
In principle, small vehicles have rear-wheel drive and front-wheel drive. Rear-wheel drive includes all vehicles with a displacement of 500, 600, 770 and 850 cm3. Except for the Multipla, they are all
two-door models and the latter was supplemented by a coupe. The Fiat 126 was still of this design, but the larger 128 no longer. It was a front-wheel drive car with four doors. From then on, small cars with front-
wheel drive were also built.
The middle class at the time was made up of the 1100 and 1500 and later replaced by the 124 and 125. Of course, these all had four doors and were also supplemented by coupes/convertibles. In one special
case, the engines were even taken from the Ferrari shelf. There were always attempts to create a luxury model, for example the Fiat 130, with a lot of technology and decent workmanship, but it was never able to
assert itself against the established competition, not even in its own country.
The middle class at the time was made up of the 1100 and 1500 and later replaced by the 124 and 125. Of course, these all had four doors and were also supplemented by coupes/convertibles. In one special
case, the engines were even taken from the Ferrari shelf. There were always attempts to create a luxury model, for example the Fiat 130, with a lot of technology and acceptable workmanship, but it was never
able to assert itself against the established competition, not even in its own country.
This report on Fiat's history would be incomplete if it did not mention the relationship with Chrysler at the end and then the acquisition into the Stellantis portfolio from 2021. The company headquarters had
already been moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Since electrification, Fiat, like Opel, has only built pretty bodies on platforms centrally developed by Stellantis.
| The Lingotto plant is no longer a vehicle manufacturing facility . . . |
