Misplaced Pages

#588411

87-502: Cisitalia was founded by Piero Dusio in Turin in 1946. The company initially deployed Fiat street car parts as the foundation for their D46. Designed by Dante Giacosa , who had a vast knowledge of Fiat parts as he had designed the 500 Fiat Topolino before WWII , the car featured engine and suspensions from the small Fiat car although substantially modified for racing purposes. Dry sump lubrication and further tweaks considerably increased

174-469: A PlayStation game simply named Mille Miglia and endorsed by Stirling Moss in 2000 in PAL regions. In 2008, Alfa Romeo created a limited-edition version of its Tipo 939 Spider called the "Mille Miglia". Only 11 cars were built—eight left-hand drive and three right-hand drive—with each numbered car corresponding to one of the marque's Mille Miglia victories. Each car carried a small metal plate with details of

261-594: A chassis with an handcrafted aluminum body. When first launched on the occasion of the Villa d'Este Gold Cup show in Como , and at the 1947 Paris Motor Show , the two-seat 202GT was regarded as an aesthetic and technical achievement that radically transformed postwar automobile body design. Pinin Farina 's design was eventually honored by New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1951 in the "Eight Automobiles" exhibition. The Cisitalia

348-520: A group of wealthy associates, they chose a race from Brescia to Rome and back, a figure-eight shaped course of roughly 1,500 km—or a thousand Roman miles . Later races followed twelve other routes of varying total lengths. The first race started on 26 March 1927, with seventy-seven (77) starters —all Italian—of which fifty-one (51) reached the finishing post at Brescia by the end of the race. The first Mille Miglia covered 1,618 km, corresponding to just over 1,005 American or British miles. Entry

435-645: A long history of licensing manufacture of its products in other countries. Fiat Automobiles has received many international awards for its vehicles, including nine European Car of the Year awards, the most of any other manufacturer, and it ranked many times as the lowest level of CO 2 emissions by vehicles sold in Europe. On 11 July 1899, Giovanni Agnelli was part of the group of founding members of FIAT, Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino . The first Fiat plant opened in 1900 with 35 staff making 24 cars. Known from

522-462: A long period and are still popular with British football casuals . As a sponsor and timekeeper of the Storica event, the event has lent its name and its trademark logo to Chopard for a series of sports watches. For promotions, Chopard uses photographs from the event by photographer Giacomo Bretzel. Mille Miglia Red is the name for a colour used by Chevrolet on its Corvette models. The colour

609-534: A loss of $ 14,000. In 2016, after Tesla had announced the Model 3 and had a high number of reservations for the electric car, Marchionne questioned whether Tesla could produce the cars and be profitable. He then stated that "if Tesla CEO Elon Musk can demonstrate that the car will be profitable at that price, I will copy the formula, add the Italian design flair, and get it to the market within 12 months." In 1971,

696-534: A more ambitious project - a single seater, Grand Prix car. Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned to design the car, his work resulting in the highly innovative but technically complex Cisitalia 360 . With a mid engined layout and four wheel drive, the Type 360 turned out to be far too expensive for Dusio to build to the extent of almost bankrupting his company. Dusio went on to commission some of Europe's leading designers to work on his cars. In 1947 Pinin Farina created

783-606: A more powerful car, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR , which was based on the Formula One car ( Mercedes-Benz W196 ), entirely different from their sports cars carrying the 300 SL name. Both young German Hans Herrmann , who had remarkable previous efforts with Porsche , and Briton Stirling Moss relied on the support of navigators. Meanwhile, Juan Manuel Fangio (car #658) preferred to drive alone as usual, as he considered open road races dangerous after his co-pilot and friend

870-637: A new plant was built in Poughkeepsie , NY , by the newly founded American F.I.A.T. Automobile Company. Owning a Fiat at that time was a sign of distinction. The cost of a Fiat in the US was initially $ 4,000 and rose to $ 6,400 in 1918, compared to $ 825 and $ 525 for a Ford Model T in 1908 and 1918 respectively. During World War I , Fiat had to devote all of its factories to supplying the Allies with aircraft, engines, machine guns, trucks, and ambulances. Upon

957-632: A new specific company agreement in the automotive sector, starting from the Pomigliano production plant. Fiat built their five-story Lingotto plant between 1915 and 1918, at which time it was Europe's largest car manufacturing plant. Later the Mirafiori plant was built, also in Turin . To prepare for the production of the all-new Fiat 128 , Fiat opened their Rivalta plant in October 1968. Until

SECTION 10

#1732783160589

1044-411: A pit stop, they had to hurry across Italy, cutting the triangle-shaped course short in order to arrive in time before the race car. The race was briefly stopped by Italian leader Benito Mussolini after an accident in 1938 killed a number of spectators. This race saw 11 spectator fatalities; a Lancia Aprilla being driven by Angelo Mignanego and Dr. Luigi Bruzzo, just before they entered Bologna, went off

1131-501: A race he felt was too dangerous. The crash was caused by a worn tire striking the sharp edge of a cat's eye in the road. The second crash took the life of Netherlands driver Joseph Göttgens at Florence , driving a Triumph TR3 in heavy rain. From 1958 to 1961, the Mille Miglia resumed as a rally -like event, limited to legal speeds with a few special stages that were driven at racing speed. After 1961, this once-prestigious race

1218-540: A range of models focused on those two segments (accounting for the 84% of its sales in 2011). Fiat does not currently offer any large family cars, nor executive cars: these market segments are to some extent covered by the Lancia , Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands, which Fiat also owns. Fiat's share of the European market shrank from 9.4 percent in 2000 to 5.8 percent in the summer of 2004. At this point Sergio Marchionne

1305-515: A route that went into the Dolomite town of Feltre; then headed south towards Vicenza, Verona; and then finally, towards Brescia. The first part of the circuit was changed in 1931, bypassing the Piadena route and going directly south towards Cremona, and then going east and rejoining the existing route at Parma. This route was used until 1933. The next route, used from 1934 to 1936, saw Feltre and

1392-561: A secret car called the Cisitalia Coupe. Since the 202 never enjoyed large scale production (all the cars were handmade), the engineering group at Cisitalia, including Carlo Abarth , Dante Giacosa and Giovanni Savonuzzi , created several variants of the 202. Of the more important versions, the SMM Nuvolari Spider, was built and named after a class victory at the 1947 Mille Miglia by famed driver Tazio Nuvolari. It

1479-506: Is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles , and since 2021 a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division Stellantis Europe . Fiat Automobiles was formed in January 2007 when Fiat S.p.A. reorganized its automobile business, and traces its history back to 1899, when the first Fiat automobile, the Fiat 4 HP , was produced. Fiat Automobiles is

1566-464: Is easily identified by its large rear fins, twin windscreens and the classic Italian red paint scheme. For the upcoming 1947 season, Giovanni Savonuzzi , who had designed most of the 202, sketched a coupe for Cisitalia's competition car. The design was executed by Stabilimenti Farina upon both chassis #101 and #102. After two coupes had been finished, a spider version, called the SMM for Spider Mille Miglia,

1653-519: Is limited to cars, produced no later than 1957, which had attended (or were registered to) the original race. The route ( Brescia – Rome round trip) is similar to that of the original race, maintaining the point of departure/arrival in Viale Venezia in Brescia. Unlike modern day rallying , where cars are released with larger professional-class cars going before slower cars, in the Mille Miglia

1740-529: Is the Automobile Club Brescia . Mille Miglia was also the name of Alitalia 's frequent flyer program. Mille Miglia is also the name of a jacket, named after the race, inspired by the 1920s racewear and designed by Massimo Osti for his CP Company clothing label. The garment features goggles built into the hood and originally had a small circular window in the sleeve enabling the wearer to see their watch. The jackets have been produced for

1827-415: The 1957 race . The first crash involved the factory-entered 4.0-litre Ferrari 335 S . Eleven people were killed at the village of Guidizzolo : Spanish driver Alfonso de Portago , American co-driver/navigator Edmund Nelson, and nine spectators. Five of the spectators killed were children who were standing along the race course. Portago was called in as a last-minute replacement, and was already unsettled by

SECTION 20

#1732783160589

1914-571: The Fiat 124 Sport Spider was prepared for the World Rally Championship when Abarth became involved with its production and development and from 1972 had relative success with two wins in 1972, one in 1973, and won 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 1974 Portuguese TAP Rally. The Fiat 131 Abarth was a very successful rally car replacing the 124. Between 1976 and 1981 the Fiat 131 won 18 World Rally Championship events, resulting in winning

2001-636: The Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914 . Fiat-brand cars are built in several locations around the world. Outside Italy, the largest country of production is Brazil, where the Fiat brand was the market leader for many years. The group also has factories in Argentina, Poland and Mexico (where Fiat-brand vehicles are manufactured at plants owned and operated by Stellantis North America for export to the United States, Brazil, Italy and other markets) and

2088-708: The Phylla concept, and the Fiat Bugster concept in Brazil. Fiat joined utility companies Cemig and Itaipu to develop new electric vehicles for Brazil, with production in 2009 of the Palio Weekend Electric. Fiat launched the electric 500e , a compliance car , in California in 2013, but no sales were planned for Europe. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne claimed in 2014 that each one was sold at

2175-473: The 128 entered production, the plant was used to build sports versions of the 850 and 124 as well as parts for the Fiat Dino . Fiat's 2018 range of passenger car engines comprised eleven units, eight petrols and three diesels. Their current range of models is the following: Fiat sales in 2011 were up to 676,704 (less 17.3% versus the previous year): Light commercial vehicles are sold in Europe under

2262-413: The 1947 circuit at Pesaro. The circuit then cut past Forli, and went through Ravenna, before rejoining the previous route at Ferrara. The 1950 variant saw the race being switched back to being run clockwise permanently. The circuit remained largely the same up until Pisa; the route that went east to Florence that was first introduced in 1937 was re-introduced, and then part of the original route up through

2349-665: The 1950s, selling the original 500, Fiat 600 Multipla , Fiat 1100 , Fiat 1200 , and the Fiat 1300 from 1961. Models produced from the 1960s onward include the Fiat 124 Sport Spider and the Fiat X1/9 - these two sporting cars remained rather successful in the United States market, which took nearly sixty percent of the total production in 1980. Fiat gained a reputation for selling poor quality cars in North America, mostly over rust and poor reliability. The last new Fiat model to be introduced in North America during this era

2436-538: The 2007 documentary film Mille Miglia – The Spirit of a Legend . Since November 2004, the former Monastery of Sant'Eufemia in Brescia houses the Mille Miglia Museum , which illustrates the history of this car race with films, memorabilia, dresses, posters, and a number of classic cars that are periodically replaced by other in case of participation in events. Owner of the trademark logo of Mille Miglia

2523-521: The 500 in both coupe and convertible body styles, and the Panda. Fiat was present in the Indian market from 1948 until 2019. They were last operating in a joint venture with Tata Motors before going solo in 2012. The Fiat 500 ( Italian : cinquecento , Italian pronunciation: [ˌtʃiŋkweˈtʃɛnto] ) is a car produced by the Fiat company of Italy between 1957 and 1975, with limited production of

2610-591: The Dolomites section bypassed, and a route that ran near Venice was added, but the rest of the route was the same. From 1937 to 1938, the route was substantially modified. Although the top half remained more or less the same, the bottom half was rerouted at Florence to run west towards Lucca and Pisa, and then ran along the Tyrrehennian West Coast down through Livorno, Grosseto and Vetralla before reaching Rome. The circuit then went up and cut through

2697-600: The FIA European Rally Championship , followed by three successive wins in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈmille ˈmiʎʎa] , Thousand Miles ) was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi . It took place in Italy 24 times from 1927 to 1957 (13 times before World War II , and 11 times from 1947). Like

Cisitalia - Misplaced Pages Continue

2784-571: The Fiat 500 K estate continuing until 1977. The car was designed by Dante Giacosa . Redesigned in 2007, it is currently distributed worldwide. The Fiat Panda is a city car from the Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat. The current version is the third one distributed as from 2012. The European Car of the Year award has been awarded twelve times to the Fiat Group over the last forty years, more than any other manufacturer. Nine of these awards were won by Fiat Automobiles models. Fiat models awarded

2871-559: The Fiat 500 in 2019 while sales of leftover dealer stock continued into 2020. FIAT also discontinued the 124 spider and 500L models in 2020. FIAT announced a new car will be released; a plug-in 500e to launch in 2024. Fiat passenger cars began assembly in South Africa in 1950, and full production in their Rosslyn plant commenced in 1966. Sales reached a peak market share of about five percent around 1970 but then dropped precipitously. A new 128 -based half-ton pickup truck helped turn

2958-590: The Fiat brand, European Fiat Professional light commercial vehicles as: Models that have already been sold in Brazil: In 1908, the Fiat Automobile Co. was established in the United States with a factory in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. , began producing Fiats a year later, like the Fiat 60 HP and the Fiat 16-20 HP . These were luxury cars. The New Jersey factory was closed after the U.S. entered World War I in 1917. Fiat returned to North America in

3045-560: The Futa and Raticosa Passes to Bologna, then going west towards Modena and Piacenza was also re-introduced. For the 1951 event, the direct route between Ravenna and Rimini was bypassed, and the circuit was diverted from Ravenna to Forli, and back to Rimini again. However, more significantly, the Tyhrennian coast section first introduced in 1937 was eliminated, and part of the original route that ran from Rome to Florence via Viterbo and Siena

3132-524: The German crew Karl Kling / Hans Klenk that later in the year would win the Carrera Panamericana . Caracciola, in a comeback attempt, was fourth. Few other non-Italians managed podium finishes in the 1950s, among them Juan Manuel Fangio , Peter Collins , and Wolfgang von Trips . In 1955, Mercedes made another attempt at winning the Mille Miglia; this time, with careful preparation and

3219-604: The Italian car market. In 1928, with the 509 , Fiat included insurance in the purchase price. Fiat made military machinery and vehicles during World War II for the Army and Regia Aeronautica and later for the Germans. Fiat made fighter aircraft like the biplane CR.42 Falco , which was one of the most common Italian aircraft, along with Savoia-Marchettis , as well as light tanks (obsolete compared to their German and Soviet counterparts) and armored vehicles. The best Fiat aircraft

3306-616: The UK from June 1983) being the company's best-seller in the UK, and its share fell sharply in the early 1990s before the arrival of the Punto in March 1994 rejuvenated the company's UK fortunes. The second-generation Punto was a strong seller in the UK after its October 1999 launch, but the new modern-day Fiat 500 (launched there in January 2008) has accounted for most of the company's UK sales in more recent years. The original Fiat 500 had been one of

3393-775: The WRC Drivers Championship two times: in 1978 , and in 1980 , and winning the WRC Constructors Championship three times: in 1977 , 1978 , and in 1980 . Lancia took over the role of motorsport for the Fiat Group during the 1980s. After a long break of factory-supported entries, in 2003 a Fiat Punto S1600 won the Italian Rally Championship, and in 2006 the Fiat Grande Punto S2000 won

3480-476: The addition of a special family which derives from a common platform (called "Project 178"): Palio , Siena , Palio Weekend and Strada . Recently a range of new models developed in Brazil has been launched: Pulse , Fiorino , Toro , Argo , and Mobi . Other European models are currently imported to Brazil: 500e , imported from Italy , and Cronos , imported from Argentina . Fiat sells in Brazil under

3567-503: The beginning for the talent and creativity of its engineering staff, by 1903 Fiat made a small profit and produced 135 cars; this grew to 1,149 cars by 1906. The company then went public selling shares via the Milan stock exchange . Agnelli led the company until his death in 1945, while Vittorio Valletta administered the firm's daily activities. Its first car, the 3 ½ CV (of which only 24 copies were built, all bodied by Alessio of Turin)

Cisitalia - Misplaced Pages Continue

3654-668: The beginning of 2012, Fiat was only importing Fiat Bravo and Fiat 500 model. However, in 2012 Fiat and GAC opened a joint venture plant to produce the first Fiat vehicle specifically developed for the Chinese market ever: the Fiat Viaggio , a compact car derived from another Fiat model, the Dodge Dart (in turn derived from another Fiat car, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta ). Fiat currently offers Japanese consumers

3741-457: The brand Fiat Professional . Fiat was already exporting cars to the UK market by the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Its market share increased rapidly during the 1970s, with the 127 supermini and 128 range of small family cars being the biggest sellers, selling largely on practicality and efficiency. Fiat's market share increased further during the 1980s with the Fiat Uno (imported to

3828-468: The car wasn't a commercial success due to its high cost. Only 170 were produced between 1947 and 1952. Most cars were coachbuilt by Pinin Farina, Vignale , and Stabilimenti Farina . Built following aerodynamic studies developed for racing cars, the Cisitalia is to these days one of the most accomplished examples of single shell coachwork . The hood, body, fenders, and headlights are an integral part of

3915-467: The circuit was the very fast 200 miles between Brescia and Ravenna, where more than half the fatalities during the 1950s happened. With the exception of 1927, 1931–1934 and 1936–1937, there was at least one fatal accident every year, and of the 56 total known fatalities during this race, 35 of them occurred between 1948 and 1957—an average of nearly four per race. Racing the Mille Miglia ended after two fatal crashes involving multiple people occurred during

4002-627: The company. However, the Italian Socialist Party and its ally organization, the Italian General Confederation of Labour , in an effort to effect a compromise with the centrist parties ordered the occupation ended. In 1922, Fiat began to build the famous Lingotto car factory—then the largest in Europe—which opened in 1923. It was the first Fiat factory to use assembly lines; by 1925, Fiat controlled 87% of

4089-401: The construction of a truck and bus plant at Tripoli . Chairman Agnelli candidly described the deal as "a classic petro-money recycling operation which will strengthen the Italian reserves, provide Fiat with fresh capital and give the group greater tranquility in which to carry out its investment programmes". On 29 January 2014, it was announced that Fiat S.p.A. (the former owner of Fiat Group)

4176-428: The continuously flowing surface. This was an innovative approach as before the Cisitalia 202, the prevailing philosophy was to treat each part of the body as a separate elements, with one box to house the passengers, another one for the motor, and headlights as appendages. The Cisitalia, in contrast, didn't feature sharp edges. The 202 is featured in the 2011 video game L.A. Noire by Rockstar Games and Team Bondi as

4263-451: The design for several customers. In total about 20 cars were made very similar to Nuvolari's winning car. ( key ) Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. ( UK : / ˈ f iː ə t , - æ t / FEE -ət, -⁠at , US : /- ɑː t / -⁠aht , Italian: [ˈfiːat] ; originally FIAT , Italian : Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino ; lit.   ' Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin ' )

4350-465: The engine's power to 60-70 bhp. With a spaceframe chassis and weighing under 400 kg (880 lb), the car was deemed fit for competing at top level. The D46 made a successful debut in 1946, dominating the voiturette series. A pool of talented drivers, including Tazio Nuvolari , drove the D46 to a few victories, beating more advanced but older racing cars. The D46's success led Dusio to consider

4437-505: The entry of the US into the war in 1917, the factory was shut down as US regulations became too burdensome (the site was eventually sold to Western Publishing ). After the war, Fiat introduced its first tractor, the 702. By the early 1920s, Fiat had a market share in Italy of 80%. In 1921, workers seized Fiat's plants and hoisted the red flag of communism over them. Agnelli responded by quitting

SECTION 50

#1732783160589

4524-607: The few direct competitors for the iconic Mini during its 1960s heyday. Fiat has long invested in South America, mainly in Brazil (where Fiat has been the market leader for many years) and in Argentina . They built their first Brazilian car plant in the Greater Belo Horizonte city of Betim in 1973, after initially assembling tractors there. The Brazilian range is similar to the European one, with

4611-512: The gates and before the train, to the surprise of the spectators. Herrmann was less lucky in 1955, having to abandon the race after a brake failure on the Futa Pass between Florence and Bologna, while Kling crashed just outside Rome. After 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, Moss/Jenkinson arrived in Brescia in their Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the now-famous #722, setting the event record at an average of 157.650 km/h (97.96 mph), which

4698-413: The high-speed race with an all-time high average of 166 km/h (103 mph), even though the 1940 event was run on a much shorter and localised 100 km (62.5 mi) circuit. The Italians continued to dominate their race after the war, now again on a single big lap through Italy. Mercedes made another good effort in 1952 with the underpowered Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing , scoring second, with

4785-458: The highest number, 1.4 million cars, in that country. As of 2002, Fiat built more than 1 million vehicles at six plants in Italy and the country accounted for more than a third of the company's revenue. Towards the end of 1976, it was announced that the Libyan government was to take a shareholding in the company in return for a capital injection. Other aspects of the Libyan agreement included

4872-401: The largest automobile manufacturer in Italy. During its more than century-long history, it remained the largest automobile manufacturer in Europe and the third in the world after General Motors and Ford for over 20 years, until the car industry crisis in the late 1980s. In 2013, Fiat S.p.A. was the second-largest European automaker by volumes produced and the seventh in the world , while FCA

4959-438: The mountainous range, bypassing Perugia right up to Pesaro, and joining the existing route. This was the last of the pre-WWII Mille Miglia circuits that ran through Bologna twice. The 1940 event was called the "Grand Prix of Brescia", and was run on a very fast 100 km (62 mi) course in northern Italy, that went from Brescia, went west at the village of Le Grazie, and then went north from Cremona back to Brescia. In 1947,

5046-649: The older Targa Florio and later the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, the MM made grand tourers like Alfa Romeo , BMW , Ferrari , Maserati , Mercedes-Benz , and Porsche famous. The race brought out an estimated 5 million spectators. From 1953 until 1957, the Mille Miglia was also a round of the World Sports Car Championship . Since 1977, the "Mille Miglia" has been reborn as a regularity race for classic and vintage cars . Participation

5133-534: The previous day. In the early days of the race, even winners needed 16 hours or more, so most competitors had to start before midnight and arrive after dusk, if at all. The Mille Miglia race was established by the young Counts Aymo Maggi and Franco Mazzotti , sports manager Renzo Castagneto, and motoring journalist Giovanni Canestrini, apparently in response to the Italian Grand Prix being moved from their home town of Brescia to Monza . Together with

5220-409: The race by a coded system of 15 hand signals. Although this undoubtedly helped them, Moss's innate ability and the 300 SLR's exceptional build quality were clearly the predominant factors. Moss was competing against drivers with a large amount of local knowledge of the route, so the reconnaissance laps were considered an equaliser, rather than an advantage. Car #704 with Hans Herrmann and Hermann Eger

5307-494: The race was reverted to being run anti-clockwise, and was also rerouted. This was perhaps the fastest variant of the Mille Miglia circuit route- Bologna, Modena, Florence, and the Futa and Raticosa Passes were all bypassed as this variant ran largely along the Italian coasts; also bypassed was the whole northwestern section, which included Turin and Milan, with a new route going through Cremona, and rejoining at Piacenza, and shortened

SECTION 60

#1732783160589

5394-436: The race was run clockwise for the first time, and the circuit route was modified. This was the longest of all the Mille Miglia routes, at 1,132 mi (1,822 km). Treviso and Venice were bypassed, and the route from the 1937 variant remained the same; but from Piacenza, the route went further west towards Alessandra, and then went north and east from Turin to Novara, Milan, Bergamo, and finally ending at Brescia. In 1949,

5481-627: The return of the Fiat brand to North America after a 25-year absence. The first Fiat-branded model to appear was the internationally popular Fiat 500 city car. The Fiat 500 model is built at Chrysler's assembly plant in Toluca, Mexico, which currently makes also the Dodge Journey and Fiat Freemont crossovers. Fiat is also selling their commercial vehicles Fiat Ducato and Fiat Doblò in North America, rebranded as Ram ProMaster and Ram ProMaster City respectively. FIAT discontinued production of

5568-581: The road and crashed into a whole group of spectators lining the road to watch the race. Ten people were killed, five of whom were children, and 26 were injured; both competitors survived. Earlier in the race, another accident took the life of a 12-year-old girl in Padova. These accidents caused such an uproar in Italian society, and Mussolini was forced to act. The race was not run in 1939, and when it resumed in April 1940, shortly before Italy entered World War II, it

5655-414: The route down to its intended length at 1,000 mi (1,600 km). At Parma, the circuit ran south through another route through the Apennine mountains towards La Spezia and Massa, before rejoining the 1947 variant at Pisa. The circuit was then rerouted to go through the mountain towns of Rieti and L'Aquila, and then went further east towards Pescara, where it went along the Adriatic coast before rejoining

5742-449: The situation around. It also assembled in Egypt through El-Nasr Automotive Manufacturing Company which assembled FIAT brands 125-127-128. On 13 October 2022, Fiat Brand and the Algerian government signed a framework agreement aimed at local production of vehicles and the development of the automotive sector in Algeria. Fiat's presence in the Chinese market is limited compared to its European, Japanese, Korean, and American rivals. At

5829-406: The smaller, slower, lower displacement cars started first. This made organisation simpler, as marshals did not have to be on duty for as long of a period, and it minimised the period that roads had to be closed. From 1949, cars were assigned numbers according to their start time. For example, the 1955 Moss/Jenkinson car, #722, left Brescia at 07:22 (see below), while the first cars had started at 21:00

5916-442: The title: Fiat Automobiles, one of Europe's 10 best-selling automotive brands, has for the second year running been confirmed as having the lowest average value for CO 2 emissions from vehicles sold in 2008: 133.7 g/km (137.3 g/km in 2007). This was corroborated by JATO , a provider of automotive data. Fiat started the development of electric vehicles back in the mid-1970s, with the Fiat X1/23 concept. In 2008, Fiat showed

6003-456: Was appointed as Fiat's chief executive. By March 2009 their market share had expanded to 9.1 percent. Marchionne introduced an informal climate and reduced the links in the chain of command from nine to five. He unilaterally decided to leave the Fiat group from Confindustria and Federmeccanica , and to cancel the national collective labor agreement in the engineering sector by starting separate negotiations with some trade union organizations for

6090-417: Was based on a design purchased from Ceirano GB & C and had a 697 cc (42.5 cu in) boxer twin engine. In 1903, Fiat produced its first truck. In 1908, the first Fiat was exported to the US. That same year, the first Fiat aircraft engine was produced. Also around the same time, Fiat taxis became popular in Europe. By 1910, Fiat was the largest automotive company in Italy . That same year,

6177-427: Was displayed with seven other cars, including the (1930 Mercedes-Benz SS tourer ; the 1939 Bentley saloon designed by James Young; the 1939 Talbot-Lago by Figoni teardrop coupé; the 1951 Willys Jeep; the 1937 Cord 812 Custom Beverly Sedan ; the 1948 MG TC ; and the 1941 Lincoln Continental coupe). The Cisitalia 202 is now part of the MoMA permanent collection. Despite the positive critical reception,

6264-484: Was dubbed the "Grand Prix of Brescia", and held on a 100 km (62 mi) short course in the plains of northern Italy that was lapped nine times. This event saw the debut of the first Enzo Ferrari -owned marque AAC (Auto Avio Costruzioni) with the Tipo 815 . Despite being populated mainly by Italian car makers, it was the aerodynamically-improved BMW 328 , driven by Germans Huschke von Hanstein /Walter Bäumer, that won

6351-422: Was fastest ever on this 1,597 km (992 mi) variant of the course, not to be beaten in the remaining two years. Fangio arrived a few minutes later in the #658 car, but having started 24 min earlier, it actually took him about 30 minutes longer, having engine problems at Pescara, through Rome. By the time Fangio reached Florence, a fuel injection pipe had broken, and he was running on seven cylinders. This race

6438-511: Was in 1931, when German driver Rudolf Caracciola , famous in Grand Prix racing, and riding mechanic Wilhelm Sebastian won with their big supercharged Mercedes-Benz SSKL , averaging for the first time more than 100 km/h (63 mph) in a Mille Miglia. Caracciola had received very little support from the factory due to the economic crisis at that time. He did not have enough mechanics to man all necessary service points. After performing

6525-406: Was killed during a race across South America. Karl Kling also drove alone, in the fourth Mercedes, #701. Similar to his teammates, Moss and his navigator, motor race journalist Denis Jenkinson , ran a total of six reconnaissance laps beforehand, enabling "Jenks" to make course notes (pace notes) on a scroll of paper 18 ft (540 cm) long, which he read from and gave directions to Moss during

6612-508: Was leading the race, but was still behind Varzi, the holder of provisional second position, on the road. In the dim half-light of early dawn, Nuvolari tailed Varzi with his headlights off, thereby not being visible in the latter's rear-view mirrors. He then overtook Varzi on the straight roads approaching the finish at Brescia, pulling alongside and flicking his headlights on. The event was usually dominated by local Italian drivers and marques, but three races were won by foreign cars. The first one

6699-493: Was manufactured, adorning all subsequent competition cars bearing the MM designation. At the 1947 Mille Miglia , the Cisitalia spider driven by Nuvolari led most of the race until troubles ensued with heavy rain falling. In the end, the Cisitalia finished second overall and first in class. To acknowledge Nuvolari's efforts, all subsequent competition spiders became known as 202 SMM Nuvolaris. Stabilimenti Farina continued production of

6786-450: Was offered between 1972 and 1975. In 1982 the Mille Miglia endurance race was revived as a road rally event. "Mille Miglia" is also the title of a song from Lucio Dalla 's album Automobili (1976). The song describes anecdotes about the 1947 edition of the race. Kaneko released two arcade games based on the race in 1994 ( 1000 Miglia: Great 1000 Miles Rally ) and 1995 ( Mille Miglia 2: Great 1000 Miles Rally ). SCi Games released

6873-468: Was permanently discontinued. The original route from 1927 to 1930 was run anti-clockwise, and headed down to Rome via Piadena, Parma, Modena, Bologna, Florence, Siena and Viterbo, then it headed north up a mountainous route through Perugia and Gubbio, then would join the Adriatic sea route at Porto Recanati, then through Pesaro, Rimini, Forli, Bologna, Ferrara, Padova, and Treviso. This variant used to use

6960-479: Was re-introduced. The route was not changed until 1954, when a new section was introduced to pay tribute to Tazio Nuvolari, which diverted from Cremona and ran through his home province of Mantua, which was the final iteration of the circuit used for the original race. Since 1977, the race was revived as the Mille Miglia Storica , a parade for pre-1957 cars that takes several days, which also spawned

7047-415: Was said to be fastest in the early stages. Herrmann had already had a remarkable race in 1954, when the gate on a railway level crossing was lowered in the last moment before the fast train to Rome passed. Driving a very low Porsche 550 Spyder, Herrmann decided it was too late for a brake attempt; knocked on the back of the helmet of his navigator Herbert Linge to make him duck; and they barely passed below

7134-475: Was strictly restricted to unmodified production cars, and the entrance fee was set at a nominal 1 lira. The winner, Giuseppe Morandi, completed the course in just under 21 hours 5 minutes, averaging nearly 78 km/h (48 mph) in his 2-litre OM-produced car; Brescia-based Officine Meccaniche (OM) swept the top three places. Tazio Nuvolari won the 1930 Mille Miglia in an Alfa Romeo 6C . Having started after his teammate and rival Achille Varzi , Nuvolari

7221-628: Was the G.55 fighter, which arrived too late and in too limited numbers. In 1943, the year Benito Mussolini was overthrown, the National Liberation Committee removed the Agnelli family from leadership roles in Fiat because of its ties to Mussolini 's government. They were not returned until 1963, when Giovanni's grandson, Gianni , took over as general manager until 1966, and as chairman until 1996. In 1970, Fiat employed more than 100,000 in Italy when its production reached

7308-625: Was the Strada , in February 1979. Sales in the US fell accordingly, from a high of 100,511 cars in 1975 to 14,113 in 1982. Accordingly, Fiat left the United States car market in 1983, although the Spider and the X1/9 continued to be sold in small numbers with Pininfarina and Bertone badging respectively. In January 2009, the Fiat Group acquired a 20% stake in US automaker Chrysler LLC . The deal saw

7395-454: Was the world's eighth-largest automaker. In 1970, Fiat Automobiles employed more than 100,000 in Italy when its production reached the highest number, 1.4 million cars, in that country. As of 2002, it built more than 1 million vehicles at six plants in Italy and the country accounted for more than a third of the company's revenue. Fiat has also manufactured railway engines , military vehicles, farm tractors, aircraft , and weapons such as

7482-565: Was to be merged into a new Netherlands-based holding company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA). On 1 August 2014, Fiat S.p.A. received the necessary shareholder approval to proceed with the merger, which became effective on 12 October 2014. FCA then merged with the French manufacturer PSA Group in 2019, with the new conglomerate being named Stellantis in 2020. Fiat's main market is Europe, mainly focused on Italy. Historically successful in building city cars and Superminis, currently Fiat has

7569-464: Was unusual, in that it didn't rain near the route; it almost always rained at least once somewhere during this race. The race was known for its danger, not only to drivers, but also to spectators. Over its 30-year history, a total of 56 people died. The deaths involved 24 drivers/co-drivers and 32 spectators. Most of these fatal accidents occurred on the fastest parts of the route, and almost always involved spectator fatalities. The most notorious part of

#588411