What does the acronym FIAT stand for?

FIAT stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, meaning “Italian Automobile Factory of Turin.” The name identifies both the company’s Italian origins and its home city, Torino, known in English as Turin.

The company was established in Turin on July 11, 1899, when a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli formed the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino. The acronym was styled as FIAT, a short, memorable name that later became one of the best-known badges in European motoring.

A common mix-up is replacing Automobili with Autoveicoli or Automezzi. Those words can relate broadly to vehicles, but they are not part of the company’s official original name. Another point readers often ask about is the company’s later ownership: Fiat’s automotive operations became part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014, and FCA joined PSA Group to form Stellantis in 2021.