Alexandre
At a time when the Italian government is at loggerheads with Stellantis, pointing the finger at the Fiat 600 and Fiat Topolino assembled in Poland and Morocco respectivelyIt's interesting to delve into the history of Fiat. Since the 1970s, Fiat has established itself as a global manufacturer with plants all over the world.with European models that were not always produced in Italy.
Historically, Fiat has adapted to international markets by relocating part of its production. Models such as the 1991 Fiat Cinquecento and the 1998 Fiat Seicento were also produced in Poland. Turkey, with the Bursa plant, became a key site for Fiat with models like the Fiat Linea in 2007 and the Fiat Tipo in 2015, not to mention the Doblo, Fiorino, Ducato SUVs... Even Japan saw the birth of a Fiat, the Fiat 124, in 2015 in Hiroshima. This offshoring accelerated from 2005 onwardsand corresponds to the period when Sergio Marchionne was appointed Fiat CEO in 2004.
Non-exhaustive list of Fiat cars marketed in Europe with the manufacturing plant.
| Year | Model name | Manufacturing plant |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Fiat Panda | Mirafiori, Italy |
| 1983 | Fiat Uno | Mirafiori, Italy |
| 1983 | Fiat Regata | Mirafiori, Italy |
| 1988 | Fiat Tipo | Cassino, Italy |
| 1990 | Fiat Tempra | Cassino, Italy |
| 1991 | Fiat Cinquecento | Tychy, Poland |
| 1993 | Fiat Coupé | San Giorgio Canavese, Italy |
| 1993 | Fiat Punto | Melfi, Italy |
| 1995 | Fiat Bravo/Brava | Cassino, Italy |
| 1995 | Fiat Barchetta | Mirafiori, Italy |
| 1996 | Fiat Marea | Cassino, Italy |
| 1998 | Fiat Seicento | Tychy, Poland |
| 1999 | Fiat Punto II | Melfi, Italy |
| 2000 | Fiat Multipla | Mirafiori, Italy |
| 2001 | Fiat Stilo | Cassino, Italy |
| 2003 | Fiat Panda II | Tychy, Poland |
| 2004 | Fiat Idea | Mirafiori, Italy |
| 2005 | Fiat Croma | Cassino, Italy |
| 2005 | Fiat Grande Punto | Melfi, Italy |
| 2007 | Fiat Linea | Bursa, Turkey |
| 2007 | Fiat 500 | Tychy, Poland |
| 2011 | Fiat Panda III (Pandina) | Pomogliano d'Arco, Italy |
| 2012 | Fiat 500L | Kragujevac, Serbia |
| 2014 | Fiat 500X | Melfi, Italy |
| 2015 | Fiat 124 | Hiroshima, Japan |
| 2015 | Fiat Tipo | Bursa, Turkey |
| 2020 | Fiat 500 Electric | Mirafiori, Italy |
| 2023 | Fiat 600 | Tychy, Poland |
| 2023 | Fiat Topolino | Kenitra, Morocco |
Stellantis recently confirmed thatit is currently impossible to manufacture an entry-level electric car in Italy due to high production costs. This makes the production of the electric Fiat 500 at Mirafiori in 2020 almost unexpected. Yet this economic reality is prompting Fiat to consider producing the next Fiat Panda in Serbia, at the former Fiat 500L plant, alongside the Citroën ë-C3.
Fiat has always been renowned for its popular, affordable cars produced in large volumes (with exceptions such as coupés and spiders). The Tofas plant in Turkey, the Betim plant in Brazil and the Tychy plant in Poland have been strategic over the last few decades in meeting this demand and remaining competitive on the world market.
So is a Fiat "Made in Italy" still possible? In the short to medium term, it seems hard to imagine a massive return of production to Italy, especially for entry-level models. But this is a question that dates back two decades, not to Stellantis.. In the meantime, the current Fiat Panda, renamed Pandina will continue to be produced in Italy, at least until 2030..
On d'Alexandre's list, we can see that Fiat is doing very well with all-Italian production.
Out of 29 vehicles, only 8 (in the last 40 years) have been made outside Italy.
Bravo! Not sure our French manufacturers can say the same.
An inexpensive Fiat Panda still made in Italy proves that it's possible not to outsource production.
The 500e is relatively expensive, so it's made in Italy. It's understandable that margins are higher when inexpensive cars are made in Poland, Turkey or Serbia.
The Fiat 124 was a Mazda MX-5 with the Fiat logo and minor differences, so logically it was made in the same factory in Japan.
To answer the question, the future Renault 5 will be manufactured in France, where costs are much higher than in Italy.
Tavares' words are not gospel...
What about French manufacturers? Toyota will soon no longer be French... The Italian trauma is all the greater given that FIAT has always been Italy's biggest employer, producing not just cars but trucks, buses, trains, planes, boats and tractors.... But beyond that, it's clear that the brand is deserting Europe, which is thinking only of destroying the automobile in order to refocus on expanding markets: the USA, South America, the Middle East, Africa...
Hello. Fiat has always made very good small cars, in fact it excels in this field.
This is no longer the case for French vehicles,
(the pure tec) . If Fiat puts French engines in these vehicles, THEN I DEFINITELY LEAVE THE GROUP TO GO TO THE COMPETITION. Pure tec = pure crap.
Fiat engines are 100 times more reliable.
Given the huge savings made with the merger on platform and engine development, the absence of investment in pollution control to comply with standards, and the pooling of a host of elements, I wouldn't understand Fiat's production being relocated further from Italy, except for logistical reasons (to supply South America, for example). What at first glance seems logical in terms of costs and profitability needs to be examined in greater depth, in particular by looking at the dividends demanded by the main shareholders...