From industrialisation in the 19th century to glabalisation in the 21st, Fabbrica ltaliana Automobili Torino (FIAT) have had a long and fabulous journey and are still going strong
* FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) was founded on July 11, 1899, and the first factory was opened in 1900 with 150 workers, who produced 24 cars per year.
* FIAT’s first car, the 3 ½ CV, had a water-cooled, 0.7-litre (679 cc) two-cylinder, rear-mounted engine producing 4.2 horsepower at 800 revolutions per minute and it was mated with a three-speed gearbox. This car could achieve a top speed of 35 kilometres per hour.
* In 1903, FIAT produced their first truck and also the first aircraft engine. FIAT taxis also became popular in Europe around that time. By 1910, FIAT were the largest automotive company in Italy at that time.
* In 1934 and 1936 FIAT produced two cars, which were meant for the public: the Balilla, also called ‘Tariffa Minima’ owing to its low fuel consumption, and the Topolino, the smallest utilitarian car in the world in that era. It remained in production until 1955.
* In 1953 the first FIAT diesel engine vehicle, the 1400 diesel, was produced.
* FIAT began the development of electric vehicles back in the mid-1970s, starting with the concept FIAT X1/23 at the Turin Motor Show. The 1976 X1/23 was fitted with a 14 kW electric motor driving the front wheels and equipped with regenerative braking.
* In 1971 the FIAT 124 Sport Spider was prepared for the World Rally Championship and it won the first, second and third places in the 1974 Portuguese TAP Rally.
* The FIAT Punto was voted the European Car of the Year for 1995. The Punto’s distinctive clean-cut styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro won instant popularity and had the same response when it came to the Indian market.
* FIAT’s latest offering, the 2012 Linea, and Punto have been given a facelift to offer the customers a better interior as well as advanced features to set a benchmark in the premium sedan and hatchback segments.
