Fiat Automobiles

Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (FIAT, Italian: Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , lit. ‘Italian Automobiles Factory, Turin’) is the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy, a subsidiary of FCA Italy S.p.A., which is part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. was formed in January two thousand seven when Fiat reorganized its automobile business, [Two] and traces its history back to one thousand eight hundred ninety nine when the very first Fiat automobile was produced. Fiat has also been involved in weapons manufacture such as the Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914

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Europe Edit

Fiat’s main market is Europe, mainly focused in Italy. Historically successful in citycars and supermini sector, presently Fiat has a range of models focused on those two segments (in 2011, those accounted for the 84% of its sales). Fiat does not presently suggest any large family car, nor an executive car – these market segments have, to some extent been covered by the Lancia and Alfa Romeo brands, which Fiat also possesses.

Fiat’s share of the European market shrank from 9.Four per cent in two thousand to Five.8 per cent in the summer of 2004. At this point Sergio Marchionne was appointed as Fiat’s chief executive. By March two thousand nine their market share had expanded to 9.1 per cent. [Three]

Fiat’s built their five-story Lingotto plant in one thousand nine hundred fifteen through 1918, at the time it was Europe’s largest car manufacturing plant. [Four] Later the Mirafiori plant was built, also in Turin. To prepare for production of the all-new Fiat 128, Fiat opened their Rivalta plant in October 1968. Until the one hundred twenty eight entered production, the plant was used to build sports versions of the eight hundred fifty and one hundred twenty four as well as parts for the Fiat Dino. [Five]

Fiat’s two thousand fourteen range of passenger car engines comprised eleven units, eight petrols and three diesels. [6] Their current range of models is the following:

Fiat sales in two thousand eleven were up to 676,704 (less 17.3% versus the previous year): [7]

Light commercial vehicles are sold in Europe under the brand Fiat Professional.

Fiat was importing cars to the UK market by the outbreak of World War II in one thousand nine hundred thirty nine (with the two countries on opposite sides), but its market share enlargened rapidly during the 1970s, with the one hundred twenty seven supermini and one hundred twenty eight range of puny family cars being the fattest sellers, selling largely on practicality and efficiency. Its market share enlargened further during the 1980s with the Fiat Uno (imported to the UK from June 1983) being the company’s best seller in the UK, and its share fell sharply in the early 1990s before the arrival of the Punto in March one thousand nine hundred ninety four rejuvenated the company’s UK fortunes. The 2nd generation Punto was a strong seller in the UK after its October one thousand nine hundred ninety nine launch, but the fresh modern day Fiat five hundred (launched there in January 2008) has accounted for most of the company’s UK sales in more latest years. The original Fiat five hundred had been one of the few direct competitors for the iconic Mini during its 1960s heyday. [8]

South America Edit

Fiat has invested for a long time in South America, mainly in Brazil (where has been the market leader for many years) and in Argentina. They built their very first Brazilian car plant in the Greater Belo Horizonte city of Betim in 1973, after having begun by building tractors there. [9]

The Brazilian range is similar to European one, with the addition of a special family which derives from a common platform (called “Project 178”): Palio Weekend, Palio Escapade, Strada.

Recently a range of fresh models developed in Brazil has been launched: Uno, Palio, Grand Siena, Fiorino.

Other European models are presently imported to Brazil: Fiat 500.

Fiat sells in Brazil under the Fiat brand, European Fiat Professional light commercial vehicles as:

United States Edit

Fiat has a long history in the United States. In 1908, the Fiat Automobile Co. was established in the country and a plant in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., [Ten] [11] began producing Fiats a year later, like the Fiat sixty HP and the Fiat 16-20 HP. [12] These luxury cars were produced long before Chrysler Corp. was formed in one thousand nine hundred twenty five from older manufacturers that were acquired by Walter P. Chrysler, the founder. [13] The Fresh Jersey factory was closed when the U.S. entered World War I in 1917.

Fiat returned to North America in the 1950s, selling the original 500, Fiat six hundred Multipla, Fiat 1100, Fiat 1200, and the Fiat 1300. [14] The company name Fiat was sometimes used as a jocular backronym for ‘Fix it again Tony’, referring to poor reliability and problems, such as rust, which some Fiat models suffered in the 1970s and 1980s. For example the Fiat one hundred twenty four Sport Spider and the Fiat X1/9. [15] [16] [17] Partly as a result, Fiat sales in the US fell from a high of 100,511 cars in one thousand nine hundred seventy five to 14,113 in 1982. [16] In 1983, Fiat left the United States car market with a reputation for poor quality cars in North America. [Legal] [Eighteen] [Nineteen]

In January 2009, the Fiat Group acquired a 20% stake in US automaker Chrysler LLC. [20] The deal witnessed the licensing of the trademarks and model patents to Chrysler LLC (now FCA US LLC) and the come back of the Fiat brand to North America after a 25-year absence. The very first Fiat-branded model to emerge in the US was the internationally popular Fiat five hundred city car. The Fiat five hundred model is built at Chrysler’s assembly plant in Toluca, Mexico, which presently makes also the Dodge Journey and Fiat Freemont crossovers. [21] Fiat is also selling their commercial vehicles Fiat Ducato and Fiat Doblò in North America, rebranded as Ram ProMaster and Ram ProMaster City respectively.

Africa Edit

Fiat passenger cars began assembly in South Africa in 1950, and total production in their Rosslyn plant commenced in 1966. [22] Sales reached a peak market share of about five percent around one thousand nine hundred seventy but then dropped precipitously. A fresh 128-based half-ton pickup truck helped turn the situation around. [23] It also assembled in Egypt through El-Nasr Automotive Manufacturing Company which assembled FIAT brands 125-127-128

Asia Edit

Fiat’s presence in Chinese market is limited compared to its European, Japanese, Korean and American rivals. At the beginning of 2012, Fiat was only importing Fiat Bravo and Fiat five hundred model. However, in two thousand twelve Fiat and GAC opened a Joint Venture plant to produce the very first Fiat vehicle specifically developed for Chinese market ever: the Fiat Viaggio, a compact car derived by another model of Fiat SpA group, the Dodge Dart (in turn derived by another Fiat Group car, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta).

Fiat presently offers to Japanese consumers the five hundred in both coupe and convertible bodystyles, and the Panda. Both vehicles are in compliance with Japanese Government dimension regulations affording the Japanese public to purchase a non-Japanese vehicle without having to pay an annual tax for driving a car that exceeds the regulations.

Fiat is also present in the Indian market since 1948. Current presence is in Joint Venture with Tata Motors, albeit current car sales (Fiat is presently suggesting the Fiat Punto and Fiat Linea) are niche market and limited (approx. 20k units in 2011).

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