FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili di Torino)
FIAT was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli. Passed down through generations in the Agnelli family and with now over 100 years of history, Fiat’s first car was the 3 ½ CV (of which only eight models were built). This car strongly resembled the contemporary Benz and had a 697 cc (42.5 cu in) boxer twin engine.
But Fiat isn’t just synonymous with cars. This world renowned company was in fact also famous for its railway engines & carriages, aircrafts and military vehicles. In 1903, Fiat produced its first truck, in 1908, the first Fiat was exported to the US and in the same year the first Fiat aircraft engine was produced. Also around the same time, Fiat taxis became popular in Europe, making Fiat (by 1910), the largest automotive company in Italy — a position it has retained since. By 2009, the Fiat group (not inclusive of its subsidiary Chrysler) became the world’s ninth largest carmaker and the largest in Italy.
