FIAT’s 125th anniversary “Smiling to the future” event has just come to a close at the Lingotto building in Turin. The ceremony was both a celebration of a milestone which few automakers reach and the beginning of a new chapter in the brand’s long history of success, social relevance, and leadership which has all been fueled by a customer-first approach. The important event (watch at the following link) was attended by members of the international press, representatives of public institutions – including Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Sen. Adolfo Urso, Vice President of the Senate, Sen. Licia Ronzulli, President of the Commission for Productive Activities, Commerce and Tourism of the Chamber of Deputies, On. Alberto Luigi Gusmeroli, President of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio, Mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo – and the top management of Stellantis: John Elkann, Chairman of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO, and Olivier Francois, FIAT CEO and Stellantis CMO.
John Elkann, Chairman of Stellantis, said, “Fiat was born in 1899 from a passion for progress. It was one of the few companies that managed to move from an artisanal phase to the industrial era. For millions of people, it represented the freedom to move anywhere, and to do it in style. For 125 years, we have never stopped working, looking for solutions, believing in our future and tenaciously defending what we have built. We want to thank all the people who allowed that Turin startup to become Stellantis today, one of the largest car manufacturers in the world.”
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, said, “I am delighted to be at FIAT’s home in Turin to celebrate its 125th anniversary and share the emotion of such an event with all stakeholders. FIAT is one of the most iconic brands in our Stellantis constellation and brings Italian style to the hearts of our customers around the world. For the third consecutive year, it is Stellantis’ number one brand in terms of volume. It is the leader in its four domestic markets around the world: Italy, Brazil, Turkey and Algeria. Its goal is to offer clean, safe and accessible mobility to citizens around the world. I would like to thank all those who have cared about FIAT for generations and who work hard every day to ensure another 125 years full of history. The Fiat team shares the same passion and the same desire to offer a smile to our customers. “
Olivier Francois, CEO of FIAT and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Stellantis, said, “FIAT has been synonymous with social relevance for the past 125 years, offering our customers what they really need, in line with the times they live in. Our customers want iconic and accessible city cars, frugal and inclusive compacts, mobility for families, commercial vehicles and, finally, Abarth for everyday fun, which is exactly what FIAT offers. Today we announced FIAT’s return to the global mainstream market based on 3 pillars: Italian design and development, global platforms and local relevance – and the Grande Panda is the first car of our new global family. Therefore, in the next decade, we will have the right offer for every customer. Because for us the Customer is at the centre of everything “.
On 11 July 1899 in Turin, the deed of incorporation of the “Società Anonima Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili – Torino” was signed. Today, after millions of cars produced, there is a common thread that links the past, present and future of the Brand, namely that particular way of conceiving the car that is still a distinctive feature of the brand on a global level. This is how creations are born that simplify everyday life and bring joy to the streets of the world. The special guest of the celebrations is the 500e Giorgio Armani, the refined Limited Edition that will have global distribution combining the excellence of “Made in Italy” with sustainable mobility. The spotlight is also on the Fiat Grande Panda, the new global model that inaugurates a new era for the Italian brand, as well as being the forefather of a new generation of FIAT cars. And it was at the event that the first real images of the other two models of the new global family were broadcast – an SUV and a fastback – which were presented last February, in the form of concepts, and which are now already in an advanced stage of development to be launched in the coming years.
The celebratory event in Turin was closed by an evocative parade of vintage and current FIAT cars divided into groups – icons, city cars, small cars, family cars and light commercial vehicles – which paraded on the legendary Lingotto track to represent the immense technological and historical heritage of the global Italian brand. After all, since its origins, FIAT has shown its strong vocation for internationality, with models that have been produced all over the world, but always keeping its “head and heart” in the Piedmontese capital where it was born. And today, thanks to the synergies and opportunities present in the Group, with the Grande Panda a new season begins for FIAT characterized by inclusiveness, ingenuity, Italian style and global spirit.
