Fiat makes both the 500 city car and the Panda.
Fiat is an Italian automaker founded in Turin in 1899. The original Fiat 500, launched in 1957, was a tiny rear-engined car designed for affordable postwar mobility. Its compact size and simple engineering helped make it one of Europe’s classic city cars.
The Panda arrived in 1980, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. It used a practical, boxy shape and became known for its low running costs, clever interior and optional four-wheel drive. The modern 500, introduced in 2007, revived the name and styling cues of the earlier model while using a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout.
A common mix-up is confusing Fiat with its Italian automotive rivals. Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Lancia are separate marques, although several have shared corporate ownership within larger automotive groups. Today, Fiat operates within Stellantis, but Fiat remains the brand associated with both models.