Italian car brands are widely popular not only for their power under the hood but also for the way they make you feel while driving. The makers of the Italian car brands put all their efforts to design and build something out of the box rather than keeping the focus just on the internal functioning. Specifically Italian sports and luxury cars stand out for their design, beauty, and speed. With sleek curves and sharp corners, cars from Italian manufacturers incorporate both elegance and tradition. Italian automobile industry holds a strong spot in Europe as well as in the world. It makes a contribution of 8.5% to Italian GDP.
The Italian automotive industry started in 1884 when Enrico Bernardi constructed the tricycle car running on petrol fuel. However, the Stefanini-Martina of 1896 regarded as the first automobile manufacturer in Italy. Three years later in July 1899, Giovanni Agnelli with his partners founded Fiat and from that point, the Italian automobile industry started its long and rich journey. The Italian automobile industry grew quickly but during the Economic crisis of the 1970s and the World wars, many brands disappeared or were bought by FIAT or foreign manufacturers. Between the 1960s and 1970s, Italy restored its own large auto industry and overtook the United Kingdom in the 1980s. In the 1990s the industry became 3rd in Europe and 5th in the world. Today, Italy continues to be one of the best global automobile manufacturers with almost totally dominated by the Fiat Group.
Italian cars have won the European Car of the Year award several times and also the World Car of the Year. The automobile industry in Italy has over 2,500 firms and is a source of income for almost 300,000 people. Overcoming a difficult financial period, the industry protected its tradition and still continues to deliver high-quality, powerful, and beautiful cars.
Let’s explore some of the top Italian car brands and see how stylish their logos look:
Fiat
Founded:1899
Founder:Giovanni Agnelli
Current Status:Running
Headquarters:Turin, Italy
Owner:Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Website:www.fiat.com
Fiat manufactures a range of vehicles including small road cars, sports cars, vans, and trucks. Additionally, it produced railway engines and carriages, military vehicles, farm tractors, and aircraft. Over a century, Fiat has become a shareholder and acquired numerous other automakers including Lancia in 1968, Ferrari in 1969, Alfa Romeo in 1986, Maserati in 1993, and the Chrysler Group LLC in 2014. This Italian car company currently manufactures vehicles under 12 brands. Since 1910, Fiat is the largest automotive company in Italy and still retaining the position successfully.
Fiat started in 1899 and the first model ‘the Fiat 4 HP’ was produced from 1899 to 1900, which was based on a third-party design. In 1903, this Italian car brand produced its first truck and the first Fiat was exported to the US in 1908. That same year, the first Fiat aircraft engine was produced and Fiat taxis became popular in Europe. After World War I, Fiat introduced its first tractor, the 702, and made military machinery & vehicles during World War II.
Fiat produces vehicles not only in Italy but also at several locations around the world that includes Brazil, Argentina, Poland, and Mexico. This Italian car manufacturer has a number of alliances and joint ventures that are located in Serbia, Turkey, China, France, and India. Fiat is now a conglomerate that owns a variety of businesses across multiple industries. Some of the most renowned models by Fiat are the Punto, the Grande Punto, Panda, Uno, or Bravo.
Alfa Romeo
Founded:1910
Founder:Nicola Romeo, Ugo Stella, and Alexandre Darracq
Current Status:Running
Headquarters:Turin, Italy
Owner:Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Website:www.alfaromeo.com
Alfa Romeo was an original offshoot of Societa Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID). The Italian car brand is known for luxury sports cars and since 1911; it has been involved in car racing. Additionally, it also produces Formula one car. Cars of this Italian brand have successfully competed in many motor racing events including Formula One, Grand Prix motor racing, sports car and touring car racing, and rallies. Alfa Romeo has competed for both as a constructor and an engine supplier, through works entries and private entries.
The company was initially named ALFA and founded in 1910 in Milan. The same year, Alfa launched its first car ‘the 24 HP’ and a year later entered two cars in the Targa Florio motor racing event. In 1915, under the direction of Nicola Romeo, this Italian automobile company stopped manufacturing cars and started producing military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. Car production then resumed in 1919. In 1920, the name was changed to the Alfa Romeo and the first car to be badged as the Torpedo 20-30 HP.
Between 1932 and 1986, Alfa Romeo was owned by Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale, an Italian state holding company. Then, the brand became a part of the Fiat group in 1986, and in 2007; it became Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A., a subsidiary of Fiat Group Automobiles, now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Italy. Models currently in production include the MiTo, Giulietta, GT, Brera, Spider, 159, and 8C Spider.
Lamborghini
Founded:1963
Founder:Ferruccio Lamborghini
Current Status:Running
Headquarters:Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy
Owner:Volkswagen
Parent Company:Audi
Website:www.lamborghini.com
Lamborghini specializes in creating SUVs and luxury sports cars that most of the time come in very limited editions. Cars of this Italian brand have very alluring designs and they always put comfort first. The main motive behind this brand was to create a grand touring car that would compete with established luxury sports cars brand like Maserati and Ferrari.
The history of Lamborghini Automobili officially starts in 1963 with the Lamborghini 350GTV unveiled at the 1963 Turin Motor Show. Nevertheless, we must consider the far-off roots of this event, and they are the roots of a tractor business by the founder Ferruccio Lamborghini. In 1955, his tractor company was one of Italy’s largest farming equipment manufacturers. By the time he decided to build a factory of luxury sports cars, he was already a very wealthy man and so began buying Alfa Romeos, Lancias, Maseratis, and Ferraris. After several years in 1963, he came up with his luxury sports car brand. The firm’s ownership changed three times after 1973, including a bankruptcy in 1978. In 1998, this Italian car brand was acquired by Volkswagen Group where it was placed under the control of the group’s Audi division.
The Lamborghini logo consists of a shield with the golden snorting bull where the bull represents power. The gold color of the logo reflects the excellence and rich tradition of the automaker, while the black represents its prestige, integrity, and elegance. The Italian car brand currently manufactures the V12-powered Aventador and the V10-powered Huracán along with the Urus SUV powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine.
Ferrari
Founded:1939
Founder:Enzo Ferrari
Current Status:Running
Headquarters:Maranello, Italy
Owner:Exor N.V., Piero Ferrari, and Public
Website:www.ferrari.com
The Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, Ferrari has created a lot of supercars and concept cars that really put the drivers to the test because of their amazing designs and insane speeds. Throughout its history, the company has been well-known for its continued participation in racing, especially in Formula One, where it has one of the top players for more than 2 decades. Earlier, this Italian car brand-sponsored drivers and produced racing cars only but to fund its racing ventures, it expanded onto road vehicles too. Ferrari road cars are generally seen as a symbol of speed, luxury, and wealth.
Founded in 1939 out of Alfa Romeo’s race division as Auto Avio Costruzioni, the brand started with the production of machine tools and aircraft accessories. in 1940, this Italian car company launched their first race car, the Tipo 815, based on a Fiat platform. In 1943, the company changed its name to Ferrari and in 1947, the first Ferrari badged luxury car was introduced in the markets called 125 S. Fiat acquired 50% of Ferrari in 1969 and expanded its stake to 90% in 1988. In 2015, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. separated Ferrari from FCA with a restructuring that established Ferrari N.V. as the new holding company of the Ferrari group.
The brand logo is a prancing horse that is used since 1932. The logo is crowned with white, green, and red strips that represent Italian national colors. Ferrari was rated as the world’s most powerful brand by Brand Finance in 2015. This Italian auto brand has successfully set a benchmark for other sports car brands by achieving 216 victories in F1 Grands Prix, 16 F1 Constructors’ World titles, 15 F1 Drivers’ World titles, 14 Sports Car Manufacturers’ World titles, 9 victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours, 8 in the Mille Miglia and 7 in the Targa Florio.
Maserati
Founded:1914
Founder:Alfieri Maserati
Current Status:Running
Headquarters:Modena, Italy
Parent Company:Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, NV
Website:www.maserati.com
Maserati is another top car manufacturer in the world when it comes to luxury sports cars. This Italian car company believes in building extra luxury performing vehicles with timeless Italian style and known for amazing visual expression in addition to added comfort. Just like many other Italian car brands, Maserati has a long history of takeovers and reinvention. In 1968, Citroen acquired the Maserati but after the Citroen bankruptcy in 1974, Italian government funds kept the company afloat. Argentinean Alessandro de Tomaso purchased the company in 1975 and later a part of Maserati was purchased by Chrysler. In 1993, Fiat took over that part and later passed on control to Ferrari. In 2005, relinquished the brand and merged it with Alfa Romeo.
This Italian car brand was founded in 1914 and created the first Maserati in 1926. In 1937, the company’s shares were sold to Adolfo Orsi and twenty years later Maserati began focusing on building road cars. Every Maserati car has always had an elegant, distinctive radiator grille with a very special meaning. As sales continue to hit new heights, Maserati has expanded its model line-up with its first-ever SUV, the Levante.
The brand logo is based on the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore. The Neptune symbolizes vigor and strength. Maserati is a global brand operating in over 70 markets.
Lancia
Founded:1906
Founder:Vincenzo Lancia
Current Status:Running
Headquarters:Turin, Italy
Owner:Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Parent Company:FCA Italy
Website:www.lancia.com
Lancia has a strong rally heritage and is known for using letters of the Greek alphabet for its model names. This Italian car company specializes in high-end luxury cars and is no longer sold outside Italy except the Ypsilon supermini range. This car brand has marked its spot as one of the best Italian car brands due to its several innovations in the automobile industry.
Founded in 1906, Lancia has a long history of performing at motor rallies. In 1969, Fiat took over the company but elected to preserve the Lancia brand. This Italian car company produced the first complete electrical system as standard equipment in 1913, the first independent front suspension and the first car body that supported structural load by using the car’s exterior, rather than an internal frame or truss in 1922, the first 5 speed gearbox fitted to a road car in 1948, the first full-production V6 engine in 1950, the first rear trans-axles and the first V4 engine. During the 1970s and 1980s, Lancia had great success in rallying, winning many World Rally Championships.
Pagani
Founded:1992
Founder:Horacio Pagani
Current Status:Running
Headquarters:San Cesario Sul Panaro, MO, Italy
Website:www.pagani.com
Known for sports cars and carbon fibers, Pagani was founded in 1992 by Horacio Pagani. The brand has worked closely with Daimler AG, most notably with its Mercedes AMG and the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve. The first model of this Italian car brand, Zonda C12, was presented at the Geneva Motor show in 1999. The design was inspired by the jet fighters and features many unique design elements, including its circular four-pipe exhaust system.
In 2005, Pagani announced to enter the US auto market in 2007 and also to triple its output within the next three years. The most popular car range by this Italian car brand includes Huayra and Zonda.
Abarth
Founded:1949
Founder:Carlo Abarth
Current Status:Running
Headquarters:Turin, Italy
Owner:Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Parent Company:FCA Italy
Website:www.abarth.it
Abarth, an Italian car brand that specializes in racing cars and road cars. The brand is like the ‘Mini Cooper’ of Italy and is owned by Fiat. Founded in 1949 by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth, the brand started operations by participating in races with 1100 cc two-seater cars developed by Cisitalia. Soon the brand began manufacturing prototypes of its own and introduced its first car, the 2014 A Roadster, which was a derivation of the FIAT 1100. The car won the Formula 2 championship and the Italian 1100 Sport.
In 1962, the Fiat Abarth 750 helped this Italian car company win its place in the record books by smashing time and distance records. In the 1980s, Abarth was mainly into performance cars such as the Fiat Ritmo Abarth 125/130 TC and in the 2000s, Fiat used the Abarth brand to designate a trim/model level, as in the Fiat Stilo Abarth.
Abarth was re-established in 2007 and the first model introduced was the Abarth Grande Punto and the Abarth Grande Punto S2000.
Iveco
Founded:1975
Founder:Not Known
Current Status:Running
Headquarters:Turin, Italy
Parent Company:CNH Industrial
Website:www.iveco.com
Iveco specializes in designing and building light, medium, and heavy commercial vehicles, city, and intercity buses, quarry/construction site vehicles, and special vehicles for applications such as the military, firefighting, civil defense, mining work, and off-road missions. This Italian automobile manufacturer brand has approximately 5,000 points of sales and service in over 160 countries.
The brand was founded with the merger of five different brands from Italy, France, and Germany. The worldwide output of the company amounts to around 150,000 commercial vehicles with a turnover of about 10 billion euro.
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), the registrations or sales of new vehicles increased 18.8% to 2 million units. With passenger cars registrations increasing 8.1% and commercial vehicles registrations rising 7.8% growth continued in 2017. The outlook for 2017 and 2018 remains positive as there is still future potential for sales growth of new vehicles replacing obsolete models.
