Fiat, the celebrated Italian car manufacturer, founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli. The new company became known as Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino and Agnelli was the first director. Fiat Agnelli was to be associated until his death in 1945 in the connection. Yes, it was more the inspiration behind her, saw the potential of the car and one years before the creation of Fiat after a meeting with the Count di Emanuele Bricherasio Cacherano, seeking new investors in the automotive industry.

Commercial Fiat made a good start in 1903 and was in profit. He drove 135 vehicles this year. But later that thirty-six months of production had increased nearly tenfold. Fiat has a joint stock company, which reinforced the Milan Stock Exchange, Agnelli and its influence on society through its rapidly increasing participation. The company continues to grow rapidly and at the end of the First World War in 1918, was the largest company in Italy. Two years later, Agnelli became president of the company.

The first car produced by Fiat, the 3 hp engine with a 697cc. Only eight built. In 1903 the company was diversifying, and produced early in his first truck and started within five years has been built for export to the United States and the first plane.

After the first car manufacturer in Italy in the early 20th century, a position the company began a rented Fiat cars in the U.S. after licensure of a facility in New York be manufactured. But in 1917, after the entry of the United States in the Second World War the factory was closed in the face of rigid control of the U.S. government and regulation.

Interior, things seemed promising for Fiat, and by the early 1920s, he won four fifths of the Italian market. Yet, despite the economic domination of the company, caught up in political invaded Italy after the war of 1914-18. In 1921, Fiat plants seized by militant workers. After the end of the occupation of workers in the following years the company has built its huge factory Lignotto. At the time of construction of the plant is the largest in Europe and has led the production line in Italy.

In the 1930s, Fiat, nearly 90 percent of the market of passenger cars were well placed and discussed the war in Italy entering the First World War, two measures.