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Fiat (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli. The first Fiat automobile, the 4 HP, was produced in 1900. Under Agnelli's leadership, Fiat grew rapidly, building Europe's largest automobile factory at the Lingotto plant in Turin, which opened in 1923 and was the largest in Europe at the time.
Fiat became central to Italy's postwar motorization with models like the 500 Topolino (1936) and the Nuova 500 (1957), which put Italy on wheels. The 124 was the basis for the Russian Lada, built under license for decades. Fiat acquired Lancia in 1969, Alfa Romeo in 1986, and Maserati in 1993, creating a broad Italian automotive group.
In 2009 Fiat rescued Chrysler from bankruptcy, eventually merging the operations into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). In 2021 FCA merged with PSA Group to form Stellantis, one of the world's largest automakers. Fiat remains the Stellantis volume brand for small cars across Europe and South America.
Fiat pioneered small-car packaging with the Nuova 500, using a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout that maximized interior space within a tiny footprint. The 1957 500 measured just under 3 meters long and became one of the best-selling Italian cars ever.
Fiat's TwinAir engine, introduced in 2010, was a two-cylinder turbocharged unit that won International Engine of the Year awards for its combination of small displacement and surprising torque. The Fiat 500e, revived in 2020 as a dedicated electric platform (not a compliance car like the earlier 500e), represents Fiat's electrification strategy.
Fiat also pioneered the use of robotic welding and automated assembly at the Lingotto factory in the 1920s, and its Mirafiori plant was one of the largest and most advanced in Europe at its peak.
Fiat is founded in Turin, Italy, by Giovanni Agnelli and other investors.
The Fiat 500 Topolino is introduced, one of the smallest cars of its era and Italy's first true mass-market car.
The Fiat Nuova 500 is launched, becoming an icon of Italian postwar design and mobility.
Fiat takes a controlling stake in Chrysler, eventually forming Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014.
The all-new Fiat 500e launches as a dedicated electric vehicle, marking Fiat's entry into the EV era.
How the platform works for buyers and dealers