Automotive industry in Italy

The Automotive industry in Italy (formerly the vehicle industry in Italy) is a quite large employer in the country, with a labour force of over 196,000 (2004) working in the industry.[1] Italy is the 5th largest automobile producer in Europe (2006).[2] Today the Italian automotive industry is almost totally dominated by Fiat Group, in 2001 over 90% of vehicles were produced by it. As well as its own, predominantly mass market model range, Fiat also owns the upmarket Alfa Romeo and Lancia brands as well as the exotic Ferrari and Maserati. Over the years it has also been involved in numerous enterprises outside Italy, many of which have involved the production of Fiat based models, including Lada in Russia, Yugo in the former Yugoslavia, FSO in Poland and SEAT (now part of Volkswagen) in Spain.

Italian automotive part industry covered over 2,131 firms and employed almost 250,000 people in 2006.[3] Italy's automotive industry is best known of its automobile designs and small city cars, sports and supercars. The automotive industry makes a significant contribution of 8.5% to Italian GDP.[4]

Contents

History

Beginnings

The automobile industry in Italy started a little bit later than in France. The Stefanini-Martina of 1896 is thought of as the inaugural vehicle of the industry.[5] However, Enrico Bernardi had built a petrol fueled tri-cycle car in 1884. Fiat SpA was founded in 1899 and built its first car in same year, the 3½HP (or 4HP), with a 679 cc engine. It was capable of 35 km/h (22 mph).[6] Isotta Fraschini was founded in 1900, at first assembling Renault model automobiles.

The automobile industry grew quickly and soon many companies were founded, including Zust, Lancia, Aquila Italiana, Diatto, Itala, SPA and Società Anonima Italiana Darracq.

Production figures

Italian motor vehicle production 1997-2006[1]
(100,000 units)
Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19  
1997   1827592
1998   1692737
1999   1704326
2000   1741478
2001   1581908
2002   1429678
2003   1324481
2004   1145181
2005   1038352
2006   1211594
Italian motor vehicle production 1961-1996[7]
(100,000 units)
Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19  
1961   759000
1971   181700
1981   143300
1991   187800
1994   153400
1995   166700
1996   154500
Italian motor vehicle production 1913-1935[8]
(1,000 units)
Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19  
1913   2
1924   35
1928   55
1935   44

Italian automobile manufacturers include:

Defunct manufacturers:

Notes

  1. ^ a b "The World's Automotive Industry" (PDF). oica.net. http://oica.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/oica-depliant-final.pdf. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
  2. ^ "MOTOR VEHICLE PRODUCTION IN EUROPE BY COUNTRY" (PDF). acea.be. http://www.acea.be/images/uploads/st/MV%20production%20+%20summary.pdf. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
  3. ^ "ITALY'S AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS BlACK ON THE ROAD THANKS TO EXPORTS". italtrade.com. http://www.italtrade.com/focus/6767.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
  4. ^ "Country Profiles > ITALY". acea.thisconnect.com. http://acea.thisconnect.com/index.php/country_profiles/detail/italy. Retrieved 2008-02-09. 
  5. ^ "Other European developments". britannica.com. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-259066/automobile#529092.hook. Retrieved 2007-12-23. 
  6. ^ "The history of Fiat". carsfromitaly.net. http://www.carsfromitaly.net/fiat/index.html. Retrieved 2007-12-23. 
  7. ^ "Table 1-22: World Motor Vehicle Production, Selected Countries". bts.gov. http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_22.html. Retrieved 2008-02-04. 
  8. ^ J. Bradford DeLong. "Slouching Towards Utopia?: The Economic History of the Twentieth Century". econ161.berkeley.edu. http://econ161.berkeley.edu/TCEH/Slouch_roaring13.html. Retrieved 2008-02-06.