Founding of Fiat

Fiat, short for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, was founded in Turin by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli, who soon became its guiding figure. It grew rapidly in the early twentieth century, and became Italy's largest industrial company, building cars, trucks, aircraft engines and other products. The Lingotto factory, with its test track on the roof, was a famous symbol of Italian industry. After the Second World War, Fiat produced affordable cars such as the Topolino, the 500 and the 600, which put much of the country on wheels. The company merged with Chrysler in 2014 and became part of Stellantis in 2021, though the Agnelli family remains influential through its holding company.

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