Fiat – or Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino – is celebrating its 106th birthday on Monday.

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That first Fiat was designed by Aristide Faccioli and was powered by a 600 cc flat two cylinder engine developing four horsepower or 2.9 kW. With a top speed of 25 mph, , it carried four people in the rather unusual seat fashion of two seat facing each other.


Giovanni Agnelli founded a family dynasty that is still at the head of the company today with John Elkann as vice chairman of the company and Lappo Elkann, who is brand promotion director for the automotive brands.


Giovanni Agnelli established his position in the fledging company with his strategic vision for the company and was appointed as managing director in 1902. He was to guide the company towards its two main industrial directions, expanding production and diversifying into new markets.


By 1906 Fiat was not just producing cars, its product lines included trucks, buses, trams, marine engines and aircraft. In 1910 Fiat took to the race track, winning the Indianapolis 500 with a S76, the first of many, many victories for Fiat products.

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Lingotto, the renowned Fiat factory that became the image of Italian mass production opened, in 1923. It was one of the first factories in Europe to put in place true mass production techniques and its roof top test track on which all new cars were tested, became world famous. In 1926 Fiat diversified into the media with the purchase of the influential La Stampa newspaper, starting Fiat expansion through all areas of the Italian economy. The next generation of the Agnelli family joined the company with Giovanni’s son, Edoardo, in 1927 as vice chairman.


1936 saw the launch of the car that became the symbol of the company, the 500 Topolino, at the time the world’s smallest production car. Built in a new factory at Mirafiori, the 500 was the car that put Italy on the road. After the war, Fiat continued to build world famous small cars, with the 500 and 600, through to the Panda today.


But the Fiat Group is much more than small cars. Its car brands include Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati and Lancia, with commercial vehicles covered by Fiat and Iveco. But cars and commercial vehicles are just part of the Fiat Group, with the group also including CNH (agricultural and construction equipment), Magneti Marelli (components) and Teksid (metallurgical products), and Comau (production systems), Business Solutions (services) and Itedi (publishing and communications).


At the beginning of 2005, Fiat announced the creation of Fiat Powertrain Technologies, a new industrial unit that will integrate the Groups’ innovation capabilities and expertise in engines and transmissions.