Fiat
Fiat built some of the most technologically advanced cars, which is why so many of their designers got poached by rivals, which led to Fiat shutting their race department! They produced models such as the 509 in prolific numbers, and luxury models like the 519 in low numbers. In the austere post war years Fiat sold many of the prewar type Giacosa designed Topolinos through to 1955, when the new rear engined Fiat 600 made its appearance. Over the next five years his car sold more than a million units, replaced with the Fiat 850 in 1964, by which time that had sold 1.8 million units. The little Nuova 500 was introduced in 1957 with an air cooled twin cylinder again rear mounted, another hit which stayed in production in various formats to 1975. The successor to the Nuova 500 was the 2+2 Fiat 126 that ran for 20 years.
Fiat also made larger 1100 and 1500cc cars and in 1953 came new up to date looking cars. There were also larger cars up to 1900cc. In 1961 there were new 1300 and 1500cc models, but as the economy was improving so the demand for more expensive cars was appearing so in 1959 the 1800 and 2100 were launched. From 1966 onwards the model names did not refer to the capacity, for example a 124 had a capacity of 1200cc while the 125 had 1600cc. Replacing the ageing 1100, Fiat built its first front wheel drive overhead cam transverse engined 128 for 1969, and in its various forms 3 million of the 128 were built before production ceased in 1978. Fiat has navigated good design, good products, weathered unions and strife, and owns many Italian car brands.
