Fiat

Type	Public (NYSE: FIA)
Founded	1899
Location	Turin
Key people	Sergio Marchionne , Luca Cordero di Montezemolo
Industry	Automotive, publishing, finance, and metallurgy
Products	Panda Punto Stilo Seicento Idea, Croma, Ulysse, Doblò
Revenue	€48.0 billion Euro (US$56.0 billion USD (2005)
Employees	220,000 (2005)
Website	www.fiatgroup.com

Fiat S.p.A. (also known as the FIAT Group) (ISE: IT0001976403, NYSE: FIA) is an automobile manufacturer, financial and industrial group based in Turin, Northern Italy. Fiat Logo, claiming fair use This work is copyrighted. ... A public company is a company owned by the public rather than by a relatively few individuals. ... New York Stock Exchange (June 2003) The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world. ... Turin (Italian: ; Piedmontese: Türín) is a major industrial city in north-western Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the west bank of the Po River. ... Sergio Marchionne Sergio Marchionne is the chief executive officer of the Fiat Group. ... FIAT president Luca di Montezemolo The Marquis Luca Cordero di Montezemolo (b. ... The Fiat Panda (also known as Fiat Panda Nuova or Fiat Panda II) is a city car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat since 2003. ... The Fiat Punto is a supermini automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat since 1994. ... Fiat Stilo The Fiat Stilo was released by Fiat in 2001 to replace the aging Brava and Bravo lines. ... The Fiat Seicento is a city car produced by the Italian company Fiat since 1998. ... The Fiat Idea is a mini-MPV, made by the Italian company Fiat and sold in the European and South American markets, introduced in 2004. ... The Fiat Ulysse is an estate-type automobile. ... The Fiat Doblò is a small family MPV, based on Fiats small van of the same name. ... Revenue is a US business term for the amount of money that a company can receive from its activities, mostly from sales of products and/or services to customers. ... Image File history File links Green_Arrow_Up. ... The word billion and its equivalents in other languages refer to one of two different numbers, depending on whether the writer is using the long or short scale. ... The word billion and its equivalents in other languages refer to one of two different numbers, depending on whether the writer is using the long or short scale. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page as shown in the aol 9. ... The Borsa Italiana S.p. ... New York Stock Exchange (June 2003) The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) , also nicknamed the Big Board, is by far the largest stock exchange in the world (by dollar volume) and second largest by number of listings. ... Turin (Italian: ; Piedmontese: Türín) is a major industrial city in north-western Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the west bank of the Po River. ... Northern Italy encompasses nine of the countrys 20 autonomous regions: Emilia-Romagna Friuli-Venezia Giulia Liguria Lombardia Piemonte Toscana Trentino-Alto Adige Valle dAosta Veneto Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige and Valle dAosta are regions with a special statute. ...

The name is an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Car Factory of Turin), founded by a group of investors—Giovanni Agnelli among them—in 1899. His grandson Gianni Agnelli was Fiat chairman from 1966 until his death on January 24, 2003. However, from 1996, he only served as an "honorary" chairman, while the chairman was Romiti. After their removal, Paolo Fresco served as chairman and Paolo Cantarella as CEO. Umberto Agnelli then took over as chairman from 2002 to 2004. After Umberto Agnelli's death on May 28, 2004, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was named chairman, but Agnelli heir John Elkann became vice chairman at age 28 and other family members are on the board. At this point, CEO Giuseppe Morchio immediately offered his resignation. Sergio Marchionne was named to replace him on June 1, 2004. Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial letter or letters of words, such as NATO and XHTML, and are pronounced in a way that is distinct from the full pronunciation of what the letters stand for. ... Giovanni Agnelli, joh-VAHN-ee ahn-YEL-ee (August 13, 1866-December 16, 1945), was the founder of the Fiat (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) automobile company and the leading Italian industrialist of the first half of the 20th century. ... Giovanni Agnelli, better known as Gianni Agnelli (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 2003), was an Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Paolo Fresco, 1999 Paolo Fresco (1923-...) was chaiman of the Fiat Group from July, 1998 to 2002. ... Umberto Agnelli, (November 1, 1934 - 28 May 2004) was the chairman of Italian carmaker Fiat from early 2003 until his death. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... FIAT president Luca di Montezemolo The Marquis Luca Cordero di Montezemolo (b. ... John Jacob Philip Jaki Elkann (born 1976) is a New York-born Italian industrialist and heir to the automaker Fiat. ... Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ... Sergio Marchionne Sergio Marchionne is the chief executive officer of the Fiat Group. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Activities

Fiat Group Revenues by Industry in 2004

The group's activities were initially focused on the industrial production of cars, industrial and agricultural vehicles. Over time it has diversified into many other fields, and the group now has activities in a wide range of sectors in industry and financial services. It is Italy's largest industrial concern. It also has significant worldwide operations, operating in 61 countries with 1,063 companies that employ over 223,000 people, 111,000 of whom are outside Italy.

Fiat group, starting in the late 1960s, has bought (or gained control of) a wide range of companies, including the following:

Automobiles

Car companies are run by Fiat Auto and Ferrari. Today Fiat Auto runs well known firms like Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Maserati. Ferrari is owned by the Fiat Group, but is run autonomously. Light automobile sales accounted for 46.8% of total revenues during fiscal 2004 (3.2% of which is from Ferrari).² The current Ferrari logo Ferrari is an Italian automotive manufacturer in the Formula One World Championship, also involved in high-end and high-performance race cars, supercars, and sports cars. ... Lancia is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia, part of the Fiat group since 1969. ... Alfa Romeo is an Italian automobile manufacturing company, founded as Darracq Italiana by Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan in partnership with the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq. ... Present Maserati logo Maserati is a famous Italian manufacturer of racing cars and sports cars, established in 1914 in Bologna. ... The current Ferrari logo Ferrari is an Italian automotive manufacturer in the Formula One World Championship, also involved in high-end and high-performance race cars, supercars, and sports cars. ...

European Car of the Year Awards

Fiat brand mark for vehicles

The Car of the Year Award was Instigated in 1964 by the Dutch magazine Autovisie, and has remained Europe's premier automotive trophy for the past 40 years. During that time cars from Fiat Auto have captured it on no fewer than 10 occasions until 2003. Image File history File links New_Fiat_logo. ... Image File history File links New_Fiat_logo. ... European Car of the Year award The jury for 2005 consisted of 58 motoring countries. ... Some trophies seen in the London Irish clubhouse at Sunbury in 2002. ... my brother zuhair likes cars he is the best zaza paculia ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A total of 58 senior journalists from 22 countries sit on the Car of The Year judging panel. Their object is to choose the most outstanding new car to go on sale in the past 12 months. A journalist is a person who practices journalism. ... This article describes a type of political entity. ...

Fiat cars have won the European Car of the Year Award 8 times European Car of the Year award The jury for 2005 consisted of 58 motoring countries. ...

• 1967: Fiat 124
• 1970: Fiat 128
• 1972: Fiat 127
• 1984: Fiat Uno
• 1989: Fiat Tipo
• 1995: Fiat Punto
• 1996: Fiat Brava/Bravo
• 2004: Fiat Panda (New)

The Fiat 124 is a mid-sized sedan produced by the Fiat company of Italy. ... The 128 was a subcompact automobile manufactured by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1969 to 1985. ... The Fiat 127 was a supermini automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1971 and 1987. ... Fiat Uno rally car The Fiat Uno is a supermini car introduced in 1983 by Fiat and still sold in underdeveloped countries. ... 1992 Fiat Tipo 1. ... The Fiat Punto is a supermini automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat since 1994. ... The three-door Fiat Bravo and five-door Brava are hatchback automobiles built to replace Fiats ageing Tipo. ... The Fiat Panda (also known as Fiat Panda Nuova or Fiat Panda II) is a city car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat since 2003. ...

Humour

Due to a reputation for building unreliable or very cheap cars, Fiat has been the butt of numerous jokes. In English-speaking countries, the acronym is purported to mean Fix It Again, Tony. In German-speaking countries, it has become Fehler In Allen Teilen ("defects in every part") or Für Italien Ausreichende Technik ("sufficient technology for Italy"). In Brazil FIAT became "Fábrica Italiana Atrapalhando o Trânsito" (Italian Factory Ruining the Traffic). Another joke was Fui Iludido, Agora é Tarde (I was illuded, now it's late). This opinion has remained even though the quality of Fiat cars has vastly improved, and is shared also among Italian people. In Italy itself, the Fiat Duna is the target of most mockery: La Fiat di cazzate ne ha fatte più Duna (A pun meaning "Fiat blew it more than once"). The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Fiat Duna (Fiat Prêmio in Brazil) was a small car produced by Fiat in Brazil, based on the Fiat Uno. ...

• ((Italian)) Italian satirical site about the Fiat Duna.

Agricultural and construction equipment

Fiat group owns CNH Global (which includes Case Construction, Case IH, Flexi-Coil, Kobelco, New Holland, New Holland Construction, and Steyr); and Fiat-Hitachi Construction. CNH is the second largest agricultural equipment manufacturer in the world after Deere & Company. It is also the third largest producer of construction equipment after Caterpillar Inc. and Komatsu. CNH accounts for 20.9% of revenues.³ CNH is the most prized company inside Fiat because it has driven growth and is very profitable. It also shows great promise for growth in third-world markets.⁴ CNH Global N.V. (short for Case-New Holland; NYSE: CNH-ADRs) is the second largest manufacturer of agricultural equipment and the third largest maker of construction equipment in the world. ... Hitachi, Ltd. ... A John Deere 7800 tractor attached to a hairy beaver A JD 9410 combine A John Deere 9520T Image:Combine 9860sts action96803. ... Caterpillar Inc. ... Komatsu Limited (formally 株式会社小松製作所, commonly コマツ) (TYO: 6301) is a Japanese company on the Nikkei 225 index that manufactures construction and mining equipment, silicon wafers, lasers, and thermoelectric modules. ...

Commercial vehicles

Commercial vehicles (Iveco and Seddon Atkinson), buses (Iveco and Irisbus) and firefighting vehicles (Camiva, Iveco and Magirus). For information on their military vehicles, see Ariete. Iveco Eurocargo IVECO is leading European truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer based in Turin, Italy. ... Seddon Atkinson are a manufacturer of HGVs based in Oldham, Lancashire, United Kingdom. ... Ariete is a main battle tank developed for the Italian Army to meet the needs of the 21st Century, by providing a credible indigenous tank design capable of competing with other current tanks on the battlefield and in the export market. ...

Components

The major Italian component maker Magneti-Marelli is owned by Fiat, and in turn owns the other brands Carello, Automotive Lighting, Siem, Cofap, Jaeger, Solex, Veglia Borletti, Vitaloni and Weber; other accessory brands include Riv-Skf and Brazilian Cofap. Magneti-Marelli is an Italian company which designs and produces high-tech components and systems for the automotive industry. ... Weber is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning weaver. The German pronunciation is ˈveˌbeʁ, while in English it is more likely to be pronounced ˈwɛˌbɚ or ˈweˌbɚ. In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English...

Metallurgical products

Fiat owns a metal company, Teksid.

Production systems

Production systems are made mainly through Comau S.p.A. (now Comau Systems), which bought the American Pico, Renault Automation and Sciaky and produces industrial automation systems. In the 1970s and 1980s, the company became a pioneer in the use of industrial robotics for the assembly of motor vehicles. Fiat assembly plants are among the most automated and advanced in the world.

Services

An important insurance company, Toro Assicurazioni, allows Fiat to control a relevant part of this market (also with minor companies like Lloyd Italico, Augusta Assicurazioni) and to interact with some associated banks.

Construction

Ingest Facility and Fiat Engineering work in various fields of construction, while IPI is a mediation company that also deals with the management of real estate properties.

Information technology

Fiat is present in IT fields and in communications with ICT - Information & Communication Technology, Espin, Global Value, TeleClient, and Atlanet.

Leisure

The group owns the Sestriere skiing facilities (being this village on Alps a creation of Agnelli family). Sestriere (French: Sestrières) is an alpine village in Italy, a [[comune of the Province of Turin, at 44°57′N 6°53′E, at 2035 m above sea-level, with 838 inhabitants (2003). ... The West face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ...

Publishing and communication

Fiat group also owns important editorial brands, like La Stampa (created in 1926 for the famous newspaper), Itedi, and Italiana Edizioni. Some national and local newspapers are owned or otherwise controlled by the different companies. A specialised advertising space reseller is Publikompass, supported by the Consorzio Fiat Media Center. La Stampa is one of the best-known and most widely sold Italian daily newspapers, published in Turin and distributed in Italy and in other nations in Europe. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Other activities

Fiat Gesco, KeyG Consulting, Sadi Customs Services, Easy Drive, RM Risk Management and Servizio Titoli are minor companies that work for public services, delivering services in economics and financial fields. Other activities include industrial securitisation (Consorzio Sirio), treasury (Fiat Geva), Fiat Information & Communication Services.

Fiat supports the Fondazione Giovanni Agnelli, an important foundation for social and economic research. Palazzo Grassi, a famous ancient building in Venice, now a museum and formerly supported by Fiat, was eventually sold to the Venice casino in January 2005. Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venexia) , the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice in Italy. ... The Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. ...

Fiat has recently begun sponsoring the Jamaican bobsledding team and promoting this sponsorship through commercials. Many like Jamaican athletes because they see them as underdogs and as people who enjoy life. While Volvo sponsors golf, Mercedes tennis, and Hyundai soccer, Fiat is trying to look unique and more light-hearted. Further, the team is relatively cheap to sponsor.⁵

The group is present in many countries, not only in the West. Notably, it was one of the first companies to build factories in Soviet-controlled countries, with the best known examples in Vladivostok, Kyiv and Togliattigrad. The Russian government later continued the joint venture under the name AutoVAZ (known as Lada outside the former USSR). The venture was most notable for the Lada Riva. Fiat also has a subsidiary in Poland at Tychy, (formerly called FSM) where Fiat's small cars (the 126, Cinquecento and now Seicento) are made. Fiat also has factories in Argentina, Brazil, and Italy. In addition, its cars are produced through licensing and joint-venture agreements in China, Egypt, France, India, South Africa, Turkey, and Vietnam.⁶ Local variants of Fiats are produced at these factories as well as a world car, the Palio. As of 2005, the company holds the first position in the Brazilian automobile market with a market share close to 25%. Streets of Vladivostok in the 1910s Vladivostok (Russian: Владивосто́к (help· info) ) is a city in Russias far east, not far from the Russia-China border and North Korea. ... Kiev (Київ, Kyiv, in Ukrainian; Киев, Kiev, in Russian) is the capital and largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper river. ... Tolyatti (Толья́тти) is a city in Samara Oblast, Russia. ... This page is about a car manufacturer. ... Lada logo Lada is the trademark of AutoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer. ... Lada Riva. ... Motto: Tychy - a good place Voivodship Silesian Municipal government Rada miasta Tychy Mayor Andrzej Dziuba Area 82,63 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 132 600 na 1 608/km² Founded City rights 1467 1951 Latitude Longitude 50°08 N 18°59 E Area code +48 32 Car plates ST Twin... Fiat 126 The Fiat 126 was introduced in 1973 as a replacement for the stalwart Fiat 500. ... Fiat Cinquecento Sporting The Fiat Cinquecento is a city car released by Fiat in late 1991 to replace the 126. ... The Fiat Seicento is a city car produced by the Italian company Fiat since 1998. ... A joint venture (often abbreviated JV) is a strategic alliance between two or more parties to undertake economic activity together. ... The Fiat Palio is Fiats world car estate aimed at developing countries, although the station wagon version and the Strada PickUp are also sold in Europe with the names Fiat Palio Weekend and Strada Malibu. ...

Fiat's headquarters in Turin, converted from the company's first mass-production factory, the Lingotto (completed in 1923).¹

Fiat has articulated that it wishes to focus on expanding into third-world markets because, in the words of former chairman Paolo Fresco, "those are the only markets where you can expect growth."⁷ And it is true that Fiat's specialization in smaller cars puts it at an advantage in those markets, but cars sold in third-world countries tend to be much simpler than those sold elsewhere (e.g., most lack air conditioning), and thus require much less money to develop. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2658x679, 1156 KB)Fiat Group’s headquarters in Turin, Italy. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2658x679, 1156 KB)Fiat Group’s headquarters in Turin, Italy. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

History

Giovanni Agnelli led the company until his death in 1945, while another man, Vittorio Valletta, administered the day-to-day activities of the company. In 1903, Fiat produced its first truck.⁸ In 1908, the first Fiat was exported to the US.⁹ That same year, the first Fiat aircraft engine was produced. Also around the same time, Fiat taxis became somewhat popular in Europe.¹⁰ By 1910, Fiat was the largest automotive company in Italy—a position it has retained since. That same year, a plant licensed to produce Fiats in Poughkeepsie, NY, made its first car. This was before the introduction of Ford's assembly line in 1913. Owning a Fiat at that time was a sign of distinction. A Fiat sold in the US cost between $3,600 and $8,600 ($73,909 to $176,561 today). Compare this to the $825 ($17,000 today) Henry Ford charged for his first Model Ts in 1908.¹¹ However, upon the entry of the US into World War I in 1917, the factory was shut down as US regulations became too burdensome. At the same time, Fiat had to devote all of its factories to supplying the Allies, producing aircraft, engines, machine guns, trucks, and ambulances. After the war, Fiat introduced its first tractor.¹² By the early 1920s, Fiat had a market share in Italy of 80%.¹³ In 1921, workers seized Fiat's plants and hoisted the red flag of communism over them. Mr. Agnelli responded by quitting the company, retiring to private life, and letting the workers try to run the company. Shortly afterward, 3,000 of them walked to his office and asked him to return to the helm—-a request to which he reluctantly agreed. In 1922, Fiat began to build the famous Lingotto car factory—the largest in Europe up to that time—which opened in 1923. It was the first Fiat factory to use assembly lines. Fiat made military machinery and vehicles during World War II Poughkeepsies Mid-Hudson Bridge Poughkeepsie is a city in New York, USA and serves as the county seat of Dutchess County, located in the Hudson River Valley roughly midway between New York City and Albany. ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead:5 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:8 million Military dead:4 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:7 million The First World... European military alliances in 1915. ... Lingotto is a district of Turin, Italy, but the name is most associated with the Lingotto building on the Via Nizza, which once was a huge car factory, constructed by Fiat. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II...

Fiat Auto's acquisitions over time.

for the Italian Army and Air Force. Fiat made fighter aircraft, which was one of the most common Italian aircraft used along with the Savoia-Marchetti, and also made light tanks and armored vehicles. These were weak compared to some of the German and Soviet counterparts, but were still used often. In 1945 — the year Hitler's ally Mussolini was overthrown as leader of Italy - the Italian Committee of National Liberation removed the Agnelli family from leadership roles in Fiat because of its ties to Mussolini's government. These were not returned until 1963, when Giovanni's grandson, Gianni took over as general manager until 1966 and as chairman until 1996.¹⁴ Image File history File links Fiat_Acquisitions_over_Time. ... Image File history File links Fiat_Acquisitions_over_Time. ... Ariete Tanks of the Italian Ariete Tank Brigade on exercise Three Bersaglieri ride in a Dardo The Italian Army has recently become a professional all-volunteer force of 112,000 active duty personnel. ... The Aeronautica Militare Italiana is the Italian air force. ... Savoia-Marchetti was an Italian aircraft company founded in 1915 by Umberto Savoia. ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Soviet republics Area  - Total  - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 km² Approx. ...

Gianni Agnelli

Among Gianni's first steps after he gained control of Fiat was a massive reorganization of the company management, which had previously been highly centralized, with almost no provision for the delegation of authority and decision-making power. Such a system had worked effectively enough in the past but lacked the responsiveness and flexibility made necessary by Fiat's steady expansion and the growth of its international operations in the 1960's. The company was reorganized on a product-line basis, with two main product groups—one for passenger cars, the other for trucks and tractors—and a number of semi-independent division and subsidiaries. Top management, freed from responsibility for day-by-day operations of the company, was able to devote its efforts to more far-reaching goals. In 1967, FIAT made its first acquisition when it purchased Autobianchi. Then, in 1969, it purchased controlling interests in Ferrari and Lancia. According to Newsweek in 1968, FIAT was "the most dynamic automaker in Europe . . . [and] may come closest to challenging the worldwide supremacy of Detroit." In 1967 Fiat, with sales amounting to $1.7 billion, outstripped Volkswagen, its main European competitor; in 1968 Fiat produced some 1,750,000 vehicles while its sales volume climbed to $2.1 billion ($11.5 billion today). At the time, Fiat was a conglomerate, owning Alitalia Airlines, toll highways, typewriter and office machine manufacturer, electronics and electrical equipment firms, a paint company, a civil engineering firm, and an international construction company. That same year, Fiat acquired Citroën—one of France's three major automakers at the time. However, in 1976, it sold the company. Following up on an agreement that Valetta had made with Soviet officials in 1966, Agnelli constructed a Fiat plant in the new city of Togliattigrad on the Volga that went into operation in 1970. On his initiative, Fiat automobile and truck plants were also constructed in industrial centers of Yugoslavia, Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania. In 1979, the company became a holding company when it spun off its various businesses into autonomous companies, one of them being Fiat Auto. That same year, sales reached an all-time high in the United States, corresponding to the Iranian Oil Crisis. However, when gas prices fell again after 1981, Americans began purchasing sport utility vehicles, A conglomerate is a large company that consists of divisions of often seemingly unrelated businesses. ... Alitalia (ISE: IT0003331888) (Linee Aeree Italiane) (IATA: AZ, ICAO: AZA, and Callsign: Alitalia) is the national airline of Italy. ... Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, started in 1919 by André Citroën, today part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ... Tolyatti (Толья́тти) is a city in Samara Oblast, Russia. ... For other meanings of the word Volga see Volga (disambiguation) Волга Length 3,690 km Elevation of the source 225 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 1. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages, in Serbian and Macedonian Cyrillic Југославија) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. ... The 1979 (or second) oil crisis occurred in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. ... A sport utility vehicle (SUV) or off-roader is a vehicle that combines the load-hauling and passenger-carrying capacity of a large station wagon or minivan with features designed for off-road driving. ...

Fiat has experienced a crisis of leadership in recent years.

minivans, and pickup trucks in larger numbers (marking a departure from their past preference for large cars). Also, Japanese automakers had been taking an ever-larger share of the car market, increasing at more than half a percent a year. Thus, in 1984, Fiat and Lancia withdrew from the American market. In 1989, it did the same in the Australian market. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (887x392, 41 KB) Guido Fornica served as president from 1916 until his death in 1928. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (887x392, 41 KB) Guido Fornica served as president from 1916 until his death in 1928. ... A newer minivan (a Plymouth Grand Voyager) A minivan is a type of vehicle developed independently by Matra/Renault and the Chrysler Corporation. ... Pickup truck with extended cabin and homebuilt lumber rack. ...

In 1986, Fiat acquired Alfa Romeo from the Italian government. In 1992, two top corporate officials in the Fiat Group were arrested for political corruption.¹⁵ A year later, Fiat acquired Maserati. In 1995 Alfa Romeo exited the US market. Maserati re-entered the US market under Fiat in 2002. Since then, Maserati sales there have been increasing briskly.

Paolo Fresco

Paolo Fresco was brought in as chairman of Fiat in 1998. The hope was that the veteran of General Electric would bring more of an emphasis on shareholder value to Fiat. By the time he took power, Fiat's market share in Italy had fallen to around 41%¹⁶ from around 62% in 1984.¹⁷ However, a John Welch-like management style would be much harsher than that used by the Italians (e.g., precarious versus lifetime employment). Instead, Fresco focused on offering more incentives for good performance, including compensation using stock options for top and middle management. However, his efforts were frustrated by union objections. Unions insisted that pay raises be set by length of tenure, rather than performance. Another conflict was over his preference for informality (the founder, Giovanni Agnelli, used to be a cavalry officer). He often referred to other managers by their first name, although company tradition obliged one to refer to others using their titles (e.g., "Chairman Fresco"). The CEO of the company, Managing Director Paolo Cantarella, ran the day-to-day affairs of the company, while Fresco determined company strategy and especially acted as a negotiator for the company. In fact, many speculated the main reason he was chosen for the job was to sell Fiat Auto (although Fresco fervently denied it).¹⁸ In 1999, Fiat formed CNH Global by merging New Holland NV and Case Corporation. GE redirects here; for other uses, see GE (disambiguation). ... John Francis Jack Welch Jr. ...

Recent events

Over the years, Fiat's workforce has become much more international.

Over time, most automotive companies around the world have become holding companies of foreign as well as domestic competitors. For example, the US company General Motors until recently owned a controlling interest in Japan's Isuzu, Subaru, and Suzuki as well as Sweden's Saab (also known as SAAB). Fresco signed a joint-venture agreement in 2000 under which GM acquired a stake in Fiat. This made it appear as if Fiat was next, although GM has made joint ventures with other companies (such as Toyota) without acquiring them. Nevertheless, Fiat did not see the GM partnership as a threat, rather as an opportunity to off-load its automotive business. Fiat had put a provision into its contract with GM that stipulated the company could force GM to acquire its automotive business. If GM balked, it would be forced to pay a penalty of $2 billion. When Fiat tried to sell GM the company, GM chose the penalty. On May 13, 2005 GM and Fiat officially dissolved their agreement, and Fiat is now courting Ford.¹⁹ The current CEO views alliances such as these as the deciding factor of the future success of Fiat. Image File history File linksMetadata Fiat_Employment_by_Geographical_Region. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Fiat_Employment_by_Geographical_Region. ... A holding company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... Controlling interest is to have control of a large enough portion of voting stock in a company such that no other stock holder can oppose you. ... Isuzu Motors Ltd. ... Subaru Logo Subaru (In katakana: スバル), a Japanese car company, is a subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI). ... Suzuki Motor Corporation (スズキ株式会社) TYO: 7269 is a Japanese manufacturing company producing a range of small automobiles (especially Keicars), a full range of motorcycles, outboard motors, and a variety of other small combustion-powered engine products. ... Saab is an aircraft and automobile concern based in Sweden, founded 1937 in Linköping. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As part of the recent divestitures, in 2003 Fiat shed its insurance sector, which it was operating through Toro Assicurazioni to the DeAgostini Group. In the same year, Fiat sold its aviation business, FiatAvio to Avio Holding. In February 2004, the company sold its interest in Fiat Engineering, as well as its stake in Edison.

Fiat faces a multitude of threats, including rising steel prices (up 68% between January and October 2004),²⁰ a strong Euro, and increased competition from Japanese and Korean car manufacturers in Europe. Although the light-vehicle market share of Japanese and Korean automakers in Europe is less than in the US (12.5% and 3.9%, respectively versus 30% and 3.9% in the US), it has been increasing steadily at about a half a percent a year.²¹ Fiat has also suffered operating losses for four years now.

Sergio Marchionne

Fiat's sales have also become more internationalized.

Nonetheless, Sergio Marchionne has begun to impress investors since taking over as CEO in June, 2004. Losses have fallen steadily since 2002, but some point out that they are still critical (1.5 billion Euros in 2004 alone, down from 4.2 billion in 2002).²² Mr. Marchionne has succeeded more than Fresco in taking an axe to Fiat's bloated managerial bureaucracy and changing its tone from a paternalistic, engineering one to an Anglo-American focus on markets and profits. (Mr. Marchionne was raised in Canada by Italian parents.) While the charismatic chairman, the well-connected Luca di Montezemolo, deals with politicians and unions, Marchionne is trying to rebuild the car business panel by panel. Although Fiat's Italian factories are operating at barely 80% of capacity, Marchionne is not willing to provoke a crisis, as his predecessors did, by closing any of them.²³ Image File history File linksMetadata Fiat_Ten-Year_Sales_Trend. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Fiat_Ten-Year_Sales_Trend. ...

Generally, if Mr. Marchionne is nearly as successful as he was when working at the Swiss quality-assurance service company SGS, then Fiat's future is brighter than many predict. Logo of the Société Générale de Surveillance Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) is a global verification, inspection, testing and certification company. ...

See also

• List of Italian companies
• List of automobile manufacturers
• Simca
• Neckar

This is a list of companies from Italy. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with List of cars. ... Simca Rallye 2 Simca is a now-defunct French automobile manufacturer, which also produced cars in Brazil in the 1960s. ... Neckar was a German automobile manufacturer from 1957 to 1971, which produced Fiat vehicles under license in Heilbronn. ...

External links

• The Fiat Group
  • The Fiat car company
• The Fiat Forum
• UNO Klub Polska
• Yahoo! - Fiat SpA Company Profile
• A very extensive Fiat 124 Spider website in two languages
• USA Fiat spare parts supplier
• Fiat Forums
• German Fiat Panda Fanclub
• International Ulysse Forum
• Fiat-Lancia Unlimited
• Hong Kong Fiat Club
• FIAT Club of Turkey
• FIAT kUno Indonesia.INDOFIAT
• FIAT Uno Indonesia
• Fiat's and other Italian Cars (Wheels Of Italy)
• FIAT Gallery FIAT Images
• Fiat Latest news & models
• Fiat from TopSpeed

Endnotes

1. Fiat Group, 2001 Annual Report, p. 42.
2. "Company Profile: Fiat S.p.A.," Datamonitor, May, 2005, p. 18.
3. Ibid. p. 18.
4. Ibid. pp. 21 and 23.
5. Mark Graham. "So Cool it Hurts," CAR Magazine. October, 2005, p. 26
6. Fiat Group, "Automobiles: Fiat Auto" <http://www.fiatgroup.com/main.php?w=2CJHE9DQ5UJOY8YWQEIX&tl=Gruppo%20Fiat&gs=Automobiles> [Accessed December 29, 2005].
7. John Tagliabue. "Will GE's Fresco Bring Good Things to Fiat?" The New York Times. September 12, 1999.
8. Fiat Group, "History," <http://www.fiatgroup.com/main.php?w=4ABAOSIR0U6SS0ISQLNP&tl=Gruppo%20Fiat&gs=History> [Accessed December 29, 2005].
9. Lauren Arthur "Our North Road Neighbors: When ME was home to Fiat" The Circle, p. 4, December 10, 1987.
10. Fiat, "History."
11. Sobel, Robert, "Ford, Henry," World Book Online Reference Center, World Book, Inc. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar204085>.
12. Fiat, "History."
13. "Fiat SpA," Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica Online. <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9034166> [Accessed November 20, 2005].
14. Obituary, The New York Times, 25 January 2003, A p1+
15. John R. Weinthal, "Industrial Review: AUTOMOBILES," 1992 Year in Review, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
16. "Estimated Europe light-vehicle registrations by manufacturer, Dec. & 12 months," Automotive News Europe. Automotive News Data Center <http://www.autonews.com/login.cms>.
17. Automotive News 1985 Market Data Book. Crain Communications, Inc.
18. Luca Ciferri, "Fresco Brings Taste of New World to Fiat," Automotive News Europe (August, 1998) vol. 72, p. 6.
19. "Saving Fiat," The Economist, December 3, 2005, p. 64, vol. 377.
20. "Company Profile," pp. 23-24.
21. "Estimated Europe."
22. Fiat S.p.A., "HIGHLIGHTS OF RESULTS," 2004 Annual Report, p. 10.
23. "Saving Fiat," p. 65.