There’s more to Fiat than, well, Fiat. The Italian family car manufacturer chugs on within Stellantis, constantly digging into its storied history to remind buyers what great cars it has been making, and it’s right to do that. For decades, Fiat has been building some of the definitive European hatchbacks, from the 127 to the Panda to the Uno, while in North America it’s possibly best remembered for its 124 Spider roadsters and retro-designed 500 subcompacts.
But under Fiat’s umbrella is also a sprawling web of formerly independent Italian carmakers, which the dominant company snapped up one after the other. Lancia, the luxury car manufacturer that found fantastic rally success in the 1970s and 1980s, Alfa Romeo, the sports car manufacturer that really nailed the concept of the sports sedan. Innocenti, the scooter manufacturer that built Italian versions of British cars – and Autobianchi, the brand that launched the front-wheel-drive hatchback with a transverse engine, a layout that’s practically taken for granted these days.
