FIAT
Fiat is one of the earliest and grandest names in automobiles, dating from the establishment of Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino ("FIAT") in 1899. During the early years, its racing cars were the envy of every nation.
Later on, the Fiat Topolino ("Little Mouse") was as famous as the Volkswagen KDF (subsequently known as the "Beetle") in the 1930s and '40s. The 1950s saw Fiat put much of Italy on wheels with the hugely popular 500, sparking the "Italian Miracle," a renaissance of European consumer products.
Sadly, the company's fortunes in the United States were mixed. Here, the Fiat 1500 won over a fair share of enthusiasts in the mid-'60s, and the early-'70s saw the Fiat 850 (Spider and Coupe) become popular among college students. Yet the Pininfarina-designed Fiat 124 sports car did the most to keep the Fiat image alive in America, as cars like the front-wheel-drive 128 and midengine X1/9 ultimately failed. Even Lancia, Fiat's premium brand, withered quickly after an introduction in the mid-'70s. Ultimately, Fiat's poor reputation for quality and its inability to cope with ever more stringent emissions regulations led the Italian company to pull out of the U.S. market altogether in 1984.
In 2000, General Motors acquired a stake in Fiat as part of a joint venture to create a new generation of small, affordable cars for Europe. GM's financial troubles led to the unraveling of this agreement in 2005, but Fiat had invested the GM money wisely in new air emissions technology. When the bankruptcy of Chrysler took place in 2008, Fiat saw an opportunity to return to the U.S. In 2009, Fiat acquired a controlling interest in Chrysler.
The Fiat 500, debuting for 2012, was the first of Fiat's new generation of cars to come stateside. Staying true to its lineage, the new 500 is very small, nimble and stylish. In addition to the 500 coupe, there are also the 500 convertible and hot-rod 500 Abarth to further tempt those looking for a small car with plenty of personality. More recently, Fiat has expanded its lineup with the fully electric 500e and the family-friendly, four-door 500L.
Edmunds Latest FIAT News
Related information
Edmunds Top Rated
- Edmunds top rated awards
- Edmunds top rated cars
- Edmunds top rated electric cars
- Edmunds top rated electric SUVs
- Edmunds top rated electric trucks
Shop used vehicles in your area
- Used Chevrolet Chevy Van 2014 For Sale
- Used Bentley Continental Flying Spur 2015
- Used Volvo V90 Cross Country 2018
- Used Lexus RX 450H 2013
- Used Nissan Titan 2013 For Sale
- Used Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 2014
- Used Land Rover Discovery Sport 2017
- Used Mazda CX-7 2011
- Used Volkswagen Golf SportWagen 2017 For Sale
- Used BMW Z4 2016
Popular new car reviews and ratings
- Toyotagrsupra
- Tellurides
- Honda Accord For Sale
- Toyota BZ4X Prices
- Honda Pilot V6
- Toyota Corolla Toyota Corolla
- Dodge Challenger
- GMC Sierra
- Model 3S
- SUV Gle
Lease deals by make
- Jeep Lease Deals
- Infiniti Lease Deals
- Nissan Lease Deals
- Porsche Lease Deals
- Land Rover Lease Deals
- Mercedes Benz Lease Deals
- Kia Lease Deals
- Mazda Lease Deals
- Lincoln Lease Deals
- Lexus Lease Deals
Lease deals by model
- Mazda CX-5 Lease Deals
- Kia Telluride Lease Deals
- Ram 1500 Lease Deals
- Porsche Macan Lease Deals
- Lexus RX 350 Lease Deals
- Mercedes Benz G Class Lease Deals
- Jeep Wrangler Lease Deals
- Kia Stinger Lease Deals
- Subaru Ascent Lease Deals
- Porsche Cayenne Lease Deals
Other models
- New Cadillac XT6 for Sale in Corpus Christi, TX
- Used Buick Rendezvous in Covington, GA
- Used Mclaren 720S-Spider in Richmond, IN
- Used Infiniti G20 in Huntersville, NC
- Used Audi A7 in Gurnee, IL
- New Lexus RZ for Sale in Kingsbury, TX
- Used Lamborghini Murcielago in Lexington, MA
- Used Subaru Outback in North Brunswick, NJ
- Used Ford Transit-Connect-Passenger-Wagon in Langhorne, PA
- Used Audi RS-4 in Delray Beach, FL