Hi!
I'm new in the forum, I'm Italian. I would like to start this thread to talk about a subject that particularly interests me about FIAT. What impact did you think the Fiat group had during the history, and especially now the FCA on Italy and on Europe? Talking about taxes, employment, factories, development, economic boom, advertising, politics, money and so on, the fiat was and still is a very important group. I'm not very informed so I hope to pursue the thread by an analytical point of view with other interested!

bye!

dasfsturm said:

Hi!
I'm new in the forum, I'm Italian. I would like to start this thread to talk about a subject that particularly interests me about FIAT. What impact did you think the Fiat group had during the history, and especially now the FCA on Italy and on Europe? Talking about taxes, employment, factories, development, economic boom, advertising, politics, money and so on, the fiat was and still is a very important group. I'm not very informed so I hope to pursue the thread by an analytical point of view with other interested!

bye!

Click to expand...

Hi, and welcome

Fiat Chrysler.. I'm not too sure.. as the UK / Inghiltera is a poor market,
we lost Lancia sales in 1994 , and now the Chrysler badges Lancia's too

I'm sure that FIAT is a huge employer though , through Magneti Marelli and other parts agents,

Charlie

I think Fiat's greatest impact to the car industry is modularization.

The Tipo was the first car which was designed to be adapted to different wheel-bases.

It gave us Tempra, 155, Dedra.

Those cars led to 156, GTV, Spider, Bravo, Brava, Coupe and Stilo.

And Multipla.

The modular approach was refined with Stilo so that the width could be varied too.

Stilo led to new Bravo, Giulietta, Dodge Dart, Jeep Renegade... all fundamentally different cars but also all the same.

Obviously if Fiat wasn't hamstrung by the 1970's style working practices c/o Italian Unions (which still persist) they might have had a bit more money.. and Fiat's problem has been that it is always fundamentally skint, until it bought Chrysler.

There's a lot of innovation there.. clever engineering and a rational approach - not over-engineering or over-perfecting what is ultimately a disposable product of finite lifespan - perhaps being squandered by ultimate lack of proper investment.

The new impetus behind Alfa might signal an end to the penny pinching days of poverty.. and that could (if successful) filter down to the Fiat range.

And Fiat cars have always had some Italian-ness or "soul" to them. It seems as if in every Fiat's DNA is something that can make you feel emotion.. like the car is almost alive. It may be accidental.. or it can just be the product of the guys who designed and built it.. but for sure, an Italian car is like no other.. So many people who deride the cars, are really missing out.


Ralf S.