Talk:Fiat

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Contents

[edit] Disambig

This article is about Fiat the automobile manufacturer. Fiat is also an English word meaning the exercise of authority. See : Fiat money, Military fiat. The Latin phrase "fiat lux" is the motto of the University of California and means "let there be light". This is when fiat (disambiguation) is created. - Jerryseinfeld 02:02, 19 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Instead of listing "all" models, can't one just use the Fiat-template? --Marc NL 21:30, 17 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] logo

recently fiats have a new logo; maybe sbdy can find it and replace the old one?

Added. --Orzetto 10:28, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] FIAT and the USA

Fiat models imported into the USA were so infamous for poor reliability that the acronym FIAT was said to stand for "Fix it again, Tony". After Fiat ceased importing cars into the United States, however, they continued to be imported into Canada, as did Soviet versions of Fiat models

I think the reference to Fix it again, Tony is pretty unencyclopedic. There is a lot more to the FIAT/USA issue that could be said that is more important and more encyclopedic than a reference to an archaic joke, or jibes. About as appropriate as putting 'Dagenham Dustbin' on the Ford Fiesta entry, or Yank Tank on practically any US car produced between 1960 and 1992.

FIATs' exit from the US market had more to do with declining sales due to starving its main US seller, the 124, of a decent powerplant as a result of increasing emission control problems. Unable to further fund development of a product that had ended up US market only with sales from the European states they closed up operations. The troubles Alfa Romeo had with the US market and the disgraceful screwup the US concessionary made of the 124 Turbo product can't have helped either. I've dipped into a book of US car magazine reviews from the 60s, 70s and early 80s and reliability problems being a reason not to buy never cropped up once as a reason for the exit. I know I have a series of articles somewhere about the exits of both Alfa Romeo and FIAT which I should dig out at some point and dump bits of here to update the text, but I still think that reference to Fix It Again Tony is innappropriate even without alternative information.

I found this entry on a website here: http://www.spiderplace.de/geschien.html covering some of the Fiat exit:

Then the CS2 made its début with a 2 liter engine but only 81 HP in the 49-state-version (california version: 75 HP) and "big tits" on the hood. Following this one was the CS0, little more porwerful with 96 HP. But the spider already had its zenith and the production numbers went down from year to year, in 1982 Fiat produced only 2000 Spider. From then on Pininfarina took over and produced under its own label. The foreseries car DS0 was built 12 times in 1981. In march 1982 the DS1 was presented. Again the engine of the CS0 was used, with Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection it came to 105 HP (italian version: 122 HP). Pininfarina offered this car in the USA but sold only little more than 3000 in the years 1983-1985. The price was to high. The "Azzurra" costed over 12.000 $ in´83 and 16.000 $ in ´84.

Humour about Fiat definitely belongs in this article. This company is known for unreliable models, even if recent history shows some signs of improvement. I added the most common jokes I know of in a Humour section. Not sure why Fiat retired from the US exactly, but in Italy (and I am Italian) they do have a bad reputation for unreliability and low-tech. --Orzetto 10:51, 13 January 2006 (UTC)
Whether or not you are italian or not does not give your opinion greater weight, and that is the point, opinion. Subjectivity and a reasonable amount of subjectivity is allowed in wikipedia articles so long as they are clearly identified and I think putting derisive comments in a humour section is more appropriate than lumping all the reasons FIAT exited the USA down to a jest. Thus the current layout doesn't meet with my objections, however I will be wandering around the other car manufacturers putting in a humour section with common derisive jokes about them just for sheer balance. ;-)
and to prove your point, I'm also from Italy, and what Orzetto says is just one person's point of view. I feel Fiat Group cars have good reliability and actually the technology of the Fiat Group is on par if not ahead of many other companies.
Even so, that IS what happened. The acronym WAS in wide use, and is part of the company's history. If the reputation is undeserved, that should be explained, but it still existed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.72.21.221 (talk) 01:27, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fiat photos

Hey everyone,

Let me know if you think the photos look funny at all. I can move them or delete them if they do.

Thanks,

Primetime 00:58, 28 December 2005 (UTC)


It would be great if someone could get a photo of the old Fiat Cinque Cento (500). When I lived in Italy people used to refer to them as belly buttons (ombelico) because they were small and everybody had one. —Preceding unsigned comment added by ChrisOMitchell (talk • contribs) 20:46, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Maserati not run by Ferrari?

Hi everyone,

Is Maserati still run by Ferrari? I read a profile of Fiat from Datamonitor written in May, 2005 that said that it was run by Ferrari. Has this changed and if so, where can I read about it?

Thanks,

Primetime 21:28, 20 February 2006 (UTC)


Hi: Regarding Maserati/Alfa, Maserati was switched out of Ferrari control and into Alfa control in 2005. 'Alfa group' may not be the correct term, I agree, but it is under Alfa control. Some links [1] [2] [3] [4].Didsbury ryder 13:13, 21 February 2006 (UTC)

NOTE:

- GM no longer has anything to do with Subaru. They used to hold 20% - they sold 10% BACK to Subaru, and sold 10% to Toyota. Toyota is now the largest shareholder of Subaru.

- GM recently (i.e. 2 days ago) divested itself of all but a 3% stake in Suzuki. Please see: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060307/japan_suzuki_gm.html?.v=3 They are no longer Suzuki's biggest stakeholder (the article mentions that also).

My apologies. I have corrected it to read "until recently owned a controlling . . ."--Primetime 02:22, 10 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] FIAT vs Fiat

It should be "FIAT" as it's an acronym.

Well, as Alfa (Romeo) which used to be ALFA, FIAT became just Fiat. The acronyms became just the name. Taalo 05:28, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
Going to bring this back up as it should still be FIAT. Its different than Alfa romeo, as their name changed from A.L.F.A. to Alfa Romeo when Nicola Romeo bought the company. FIAT though is still Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, and the official company name is FIAT not Fiat.Onesti (talk) 12:43, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Fiat has new logo

Press release: A new logo for the Fiat brand: it debuts on the Fiat Bravo --88.203.166.188 10:34, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Fiat Group and Fiat

Shouldn't there really be two pages? One for the Fiat Group (where the logo is really: [5]), and then a page for Fiat brand cars, which users the (new) logo we have on this page? The logo shown is not for the Fiat Group really. Taalo 05:26, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Should be two pages, one for Fiat S.p.A. (Fiat Group) and one for Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (Fiat branded cars) there is already http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Fiat_models_since_1899 which could be base for new page for Fiat cars..--Typ932 16:14, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
Yup, completely agreed. Right now it is confusing to have this Fiat Group page that is so mixed with the Fiat Automobiles. Good job on the sorting of the subsidiaries, by the way. What could the page locations be then? Fiat Group, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia? Taalo 22:34, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
Needs two changes > new page Fiat (car) or something ,and change that Fiat is disambiguation page where you can choose what page you are looking for, needs current Fiat page moving to new eg. Fiat Group page. Alfa Romeo and Lancia are ok no need to change anything.--Typ932 00:54, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
Looking good! :_) How would you feel about moving Fiat to Fiat Group, having the car page at Fiat, and then have the Fiat (disambiguation) show both Fiat and Fiat Group? Somehow I'd rather not use Fiat (car), so that Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia, all come out consistent. cheers. Taalo 22:17, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
Maybe we just leave it as its now, have to think more and wait other opinions, just fixing it more like whole Group page.--Typ932 22:22, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
Ok, hopefully some others can chime in with opinions; but yeah, no hurry. Taalo 22:46, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
My suggestion is to move this article to Fiat Group and move the Fiat (disambiguation) page to Fiat. This article doesn't go on disproportionately about their car business, and in fact links to specific articles for various car models, so there's not really a need for a separate article for their car business unless someone wants to expand that section, in which case the new article should be placed at Fiat Automobiles or Fiat (car). --DachannienTalkContrib 20:20, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, I agree with this idea. Or even move this page to Fiat Group and have a Fiat page that concentrates on automobiles and reflects Alfa Romeo, Lancia, etc. Icsunonove (talk) 21:22, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] FIAT SELLS MORE THAN RENAULT IN EUROPE AND HAD ONE OF THE BEST GROW IN 2005/6

The new Fiat Grande Punto was the most sold car in 05/06,it's now second. Fiat had a record grow in 2006. Look, for those who understand italian.

Fiat: utile netto 1° trimestre 2007 a +149% Il primo trimestre 2007 chiuso con un balzo dell'utile netto in crescita di 225 milioni rispetto allo stesso periodo del 2006

TORINO - Ottimi risultati. Il gruppo Fiat ha chiuso il primo trimestre 2007 con un balzo dell'utile netto, salito a 376 milioni di euro, in crescita di 225 milioni rispetto allo stesso periodo del 2006 (+149%). Il risultato della gestione ordinaria del business del settore auto (che comprende tutti i marchi del gruppo Fiat) è salito a 222 milioni di euro, 173 milioni in più dell'analogo periodo del 2006. L'indebitamento netto industriale del gruppo è sceso al di sotto di 1,3 miliardi, con un miglioramento di circa 500 milioni rispetto a fine 2006. La previsione per fine anno è che cali al di sotto di un miliardo di euro. I ricavi netti complessivi sono stati pari a 13.676 milioni di euro, in progresso dell'8,9%. 23 aprile 2007 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 198.240.212.26 (talk) 09:28, 23 April 2007 (UTC).

[edit] FIAT rather than Fiat

I think we should be using FIAT rather than Fiat, the official company name is FIAT, an acronym, rather than Fiat, the word. Whilst is has become common usage to use Fiat I think we should be trying to us the actual company name. Onesti (talk) 13:33, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Where do you find the actual company name?, even the company press releases speaks about Fiat --— Typ932T | C  13:39, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
Actually I could be talking rubbish here, I've had a look at what company registration info I can find and it looks to be registered in Italy as Fiat SpA not FIAT SpA. Oh well! Onesti (talk) 13:40, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
Seems there is both used on their website but eg. company address details says:

Company Information

  • Fiat S.p.A.
  • Via Nizza 250, 10126 Torino, Italy
  • Paid-in Capital Euro 6,377,262,975
  • Company Register of Turin / Fiscal Code 00469580013

--— Typ932T | C  13:45, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Yeh thats where I found it as well. Would need to confirm details with the Italian companies registrar to be completely sure, but I have no ability to do that here. Onesti (talk) 13:53, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Fiat in motorsport

In the early days of motor racing Fiat were one of the big names. The made cars with huge engines and even held land speed records for a while. I have loads of info on this (all can be reliable referenced) and would be prepared to start the article. However, do people think it would be better placed as a section in this article, or as a seperate article linked on this plage? Fork me (talk) 10:49, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I think it could be wise to start own page Fiat in motorsport, there is so much history that it can grow quite large --— Typ932T | C  10:53, 10 May 2008 (UTC)