Automotive industry in Italy

The automotive industry in Italy is a big part of the country’s work and economy. In 2006, it had over 2,131 companies and gave jobs to almost 250,000 people. Italy is famous around the world for its clever car designs, especially small city cars and exciting sports cars. The industry helps make up 8.5% of Italy’s total money made from all kinds of work and business, called GDP.

Italy makes important cars not just in Europe but also all over the world. Today, most of Italy’s car making is done by one big company called Stellantis, which used to be named the Fiat Group. Back in 2001, more than 90% of cars made in Italy came from this company. Stellantis makes many kinds of cars, from everyday models under the Fiat name to fancier ones like Alfa Romeo, Lancia, and the very special Maserati cars.

Background

The Barsanti-Matteucci engine was the first internal combustion engine made using a special design. In the early 1850s, Eugenio Barsanti, a math teacher, and Felice Matteucci, an engineer, worked together to create an engine that used a mix of hydrogen and air to produce mechanical energy. This was the first real internal combustion engine. It worked by mixing air and hydrogen, causing an explosion that moved a piston up and down.

Italy’s car industry began in the late 1880s. One of the first car makers was Stefanini-Martina, but Enrico Bernardi built a petrol-powered vehicle on three wheels in 1884. Bernardi studied math and later became a teacher and professor, working at universities in Vicenza and Padua.

Description

From 1890s to 1920s

In 1888, Giovanni Battista Ceirano began making bicycles called Welleyes. In October 1898, he and his brothers Matteo and Ernesto started building motor cars under the same name. They faced challenges and turned to local business leaders, leading to Fiat buying the company in July 1899. Fiat produced its first car, the Fiat 4 HP, with a 679 cc engine and a top speed of 35 km/h (22 mph). Known for creative engineering, Fiat made a small profit by 1903 and produced 135 cars, growing to 1,149 cars by 1906. The company went public and sold shares through the Milan stock exchange.

Agnelli led Fiat until 1945, with Vittorio Valletta handling daily activities. Fiat's first car, the 3 ½ CV, had a 697 cc engine. In 1903, Fiat made its first truck. In 1908, the first Fiat was sold in the US, and Fiat began making aircraft engines. Fiat taxis also became popular in Europe.

Isotta Fraschini, an Italian luxury car company, started in 1900 by assembling Renault cars. Founded in Milan by Cesare Isotta and the Fraschini brothers, it began making its own cars in 1904 with a four-cylinder engine producing 24 horsepower.

Itala was a car company in Turin from 1904 to 1934, founded by Matteo Ceirano and partners. They made cars with engines from 18 hp to 50 hp. In 1905, they began making large racing cars, like a 14.8-litre model that won the Coppa Florio and Targa Florio races. In 1907, a 7,433 cc model won the Peking to Paris race. These successes helped sales grow. Itala also tried new engine designs and made airplane engines during World War I.

Alfa Romeo was founded on June 24, 1910, in Milan as A.L.F.A. The company was created to take over the assets of the Italian branch of French carmaker Darracq. Its first car was the 24 HP, designed by Giuseppe Merosi, which did well in races like the 1911 Targa Florio. In 1915, Nicola Romeo bought ALFA and expanded it to include heavy machinery and aircraft engines. In 1920, the company became Alfa Romeo.

Lancia started in 1906 in Turin by Vincenzo Lancia and Claudio Fogolin. It joined Fiat in 1969. Lancia is famous for its rally history and innovations like the unibody chassis of the 1922 Lambda and the five-speed gearbox in the 1948 Ardea. Though its sales dropped from over 300,000 cars a year in 1990 to less than 100,000 by 2010, the Lancia Ypsilon remains popular in Italy.

Gruppo Bertone was an Italian design company that made car bodies and styles. Founded in 1912 by Giovanni Bertone, it became famous under Nuccio Bertone after World War II. The company went bankrupt in 2014, and its employees lost their jobs. Some cars from its museum went to other museums.

Maserati was started in 1914 in Bologna. Its headquarters are now in Modena, and its logo is a trident. Maserati has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Maserati became famous for models like the Quattroporte and Ghibli. They also make the GranTurismo, Levante SUV, and Grecale SUV. Maserati limits production to 75,000 cars a year globally.

Zagato was a coachbuilding company founded by Ugo Zagato in 1919. Based near Rho, Lombardy, Zagato aimed to use airplane techniques in car design. He wanted to make lighter car structures with aluminum frames.

The automobile industry grew quickly, with brands like Aquila Italiana, Fratelli Ceirano, Diatto, Itala, Junior, Società Ceirano Automobili Torino, S.T.A.R. Rapid, SPA, and Zust. During the World Wars and the 1970s economic crisis, many brands disappeared or were bought by Fiat or foreign companies. Fiat also made cars in other countries, like Lada in Russia, Zastava in Yugoslavia, FSO in Poland, and SEAT in Spain.

From 1930s to 1960s

Pininfarina is a car design and coachbuilding company based in Cambiano, Turin. It was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. In 2015, the Mahindra Group bought most of Pininfarina. Pininfarina designs cars for many manufacturers, including Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Fiat, GM, Lancia, Maserati, and companies in Asia and Korea.

Innocenti was a machinery company founded by Ferdinando Innocenti in 1933 in Milan. They made Lambretta scooters and some cars based on British Leyland models. The brand ended in 1996 after Fiat bought it. After World War II, Innocenti was famous for Lambretta scooters like the Lambretta 48, LI125, LI150, TV175, TV200, SX125, SX150, SX200, GP125, GP150, and GP200.

Piaggio Group makes motor vehicles and small commercial vehicles. Founded by Rinaldo Piaggio in 1884, it started by making locomotives and railway carriages. Piaggio makes vehicles under brands like Piaggio, Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, and Derbi. The company has research centers and operates in over 50 countries.

Iso Rivolta is an Italian car and motorbike company started in 1938. It changed names several times over the years. After World War II, Renzo Rivolta decided to make motorbikes. In the 1950s, he developed a car that was between a motorbike and a car, called the Isetta. The company made cars like the Grifo sports coupé, the Fidia luxury saloon, and the Lele grand tourer.

Abarth is a car maker focused on racing and performance, founded by Carlo Abarth in 1949. It is now owned by Stellantis. Its logo features a scorpion. Carlo Abarth worked for the Cisitalia racing team before starting his own company.

Ferrari is a luxury sports car company based in Maranello. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939, it built its first car in 1940 and adopted its current name in 1945. Ferrari became a public company in 1960 and was part of Fiat from 1963 to 2014. It became independent in 2016. Ferrari makes supercars, grand tourers, and an SUV. Many early Ferraris from the 1950s and 1960s are very valuable today. Ferrari is known for its racing history, luxury, and exclusivity.

Autobianchi was a car company created by Bianchi, Pirelli, and Fiat in 1955. They made small cars, with the largest being the Autobianchi A111, a small family car. Autobianchi cars were more expensive than similar Fiat models. The brand tested new ideas for Fiat, like fibreglass bodies and front-wheel drive. Famous models include the A112 hatchback from 1969 and the Y10, the first car with Fiat's FIRE engine.

De Tomaso is a car company founded in 1959 by Alejandro de Tomaso in Modena. It made sports prototypes and racing cars, including a Formula One car in 1970. Funding came from Amory Haskell Jr. In 1971, Ford bought a large share but sold it back in 1974. In 2014, Ideal Team Ventures bought De Tomaso, and in 2019, they introduced the De Tomaso P72 retro-styled sports car.

Italdesign Giugiaro is a design company based in Moncalieri, Italy. It was founded in 1968 by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. The company designs cars and offers other services like product design and engineering. In 2010, Lamborghini bought most of Italdesign, and in 2015, Audi bought the rest. Giorgetto Giugiaro left in 2015.

From 1960s to present

In the 1960s and 1970s, Italy improved its large auto industry, becoming third or fourth in Europe and fifth or sixth in the world. In the 1980s, Italy passed the United Kingdom but fell behind the Soviet Union, Spain, Poland, and Yugoslavia, which made many cars with Fiat's help. Lamborghini makes luxury sports cars and SUVs and is owned by the Volkswagen Group through Audi. Ferruccio Lamborghini started the company in 1963 to compete with Ferrari. Lamborghini grew fast but faced hard times after the 1973 financial downturn and oil crisis. The company's ownership changed several times, and it went bankrupt in 1978. Chrysler took control in 1987 and sold it to investors in 1994. In 1998, Volkswagen Group bought it and placed it under Audi. During the late 2000s recession, Lamborghini's sales dropped nearly 50%.

The 1970s and 1980s brought big changes to the car industry in Europe. Rear-wheel drive gave way to front-wheel drive, especially on family cars. The hatchback style, first seen on the Renault 16 from France in 1965, became popular by the mid-1980s. Fiat entered the hatchback market in 1971 with the Fiat 127, followed by the Ritmo family car in 1978. By the end of the decade, Alfa Romeo and Lancia also added hatchbacks. Fiat's Uno supermini (1983) and Tipo family hatchback (1988) were European Car of the Year winners for their modern designs. The Uno was very popular in Europe, while the Tipo was not as popular outside Italy.

Iveco is an Italian company that makes commercial vehicles. It was formed in 1975 from a merger of Italian, French, and German brands. Iveco has factories in Europe, China, Russia, Australia, and Latin America, with sales and service centers in over 160 countries. The company makes around 150,000 commercial vehicles a year with about €10 billion in turnover.

The Uno was replaced by the Punto in late 1993, which was as successful as the Uno. The earlier Cinquecento helped grow the small car market in Europe in the 1990s. Fiat entered the compact MPV market in 1998 with the Multipla and joined the full-size MPV market with the Eurovan in a partnership with Peugeot.

In the 1990s, the Italian auto industry was third in Europe and fifth in the world, making nearly 2 million cars a year, with a peak of 2,220,774 in 1989. By 2011, production fell below 800,000 for the first time in 50 years, and Italy is now sixth in Europe and 19th in the world.

Pagani Automobili makes sports cars and carbon fiber parts. Founded in 1992 by Horacio Pagani in San Cesario sul Panaro, near Modena, Italy, the company began by working with Lamborghini on projects like the Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition, Lamborghini LM002, P140 design concept, and Diablo. In the late 1980s, Pagani started designing his own car, called the "C8 Project", which he later planned to rename the "Fangio F1" to honor his friend, the Argentine five-time Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio.

Today, Italy remains important in car design and technology. Fiat has big investments outside Italy, including a full stake in the American automaker Chrysler since January 2014. Fiat's success has been helped by the popular Fiat 500 city car, though it is made in Poland and Mexico, not Italy.

Over the years, the Italian automotive industry has been mostly controlled by the Fiat Group, which later became Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014. By 2001, over 90% of vehicles were made by Fiat. On January 1, 2021, the FCA group became part of the Dutch company Stellantis.

Automobile museums

The Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile (National Automobile Museum), called MAUTO, is located in Turin, Italy. Founded by Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, it has almost 200 cars from many brands across eight countries. The museum is in a building from 1960 and has three floors. After updates in 2011, the space grew from 11,000 to 19,000 square metres. It features early cars like a Bernardi from 1896 and a Fiat from 1899, as well as famous racing cars.

The Museo Ferrari is a museum for Ferrari cars and racing history, located in Maranello near Modena. It opened in 1990 and adds new displays each year. Visitors can see Ferrari cars, trophies, photos, and learn about advances in car technology.

The Museo Alfa Romeo in Milan shows Alfa Romeo cars and engines. It reopened in 2015 after updates and has over 250 cars and 150 engines on display.

The Museo Lamborghini in Sant'Agata Bolognese opened in 2001 and was updated in 2016. It shows important Lamborghini cars, including rare models and special designs.

The Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia opened in 2004. It celebrates the famous Mille Miglia race with historic cars from different years.

The Lancia Museum in Fobello honors the Lancia family and cars. It opened in 2009 and has photos, documents, and models of Lancia cars.

The Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari in Modena focuses on Enzo Ferrari, the founder of Ferrari. It displays important Ferrari cars and shows videos about his life.

The Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini in Argelato near Bologna is about Ferruccio Lamborghini, the founder of Lamborghini. It shows tractors, cars, and other creations from his company’s history.

Production figures

Italian motor vehicle production:

Manufacturers

See also: List of automobile manufacturers of Italy

Current manufactures

Italy has many car makers today. Some well-known ones include:

• Abarth
• Alfa Romeo
• Ferrari
• Fiat
• Iveco
• Lamborghini
• Lancia
• Maserati
• Pagani
• Piaggio

Defunct manufacturers

Some car makers in Italy are no longer making cars. A few of them are:

• APIS
• Aquila
• Autobianchi
• Bandini
• Bertone
• Bianchi
• Bizzarrini
• Cisitalia
• De Tomaso
• Diatto
• Ghia
• Innocenti
• Itala
• Moretti
• OM
• Osca
• Siata
• S.P.A. (SPA)
• Zust