Fiat Professional is a name known right across the world, synonymous with quality and passion. It is an innovator in its segment that has proven to hold its own in the ever so competitive car market. On the other hand the MultiJet engine has, in recent years, been rightly revered for both its style and substance —no less than you’d come to expect from an Italian car manufacturer.This combination is what makes this car what it is today.But first, let’s take a look at how it all started and how it grew to the have the success it does today.
Although recent models such as the Fiorino van have won prestigious awards such as the Van of the Year and a multitude of others, the history of Fiat Professional goes back much further. In fact, Fiat have been producing commercial vehicles for more than 111 years, with the first, the 24Horsepower, being set loose on the roads of Italy in 1903. Yes, it’s the kind of car you find in museums now, but it’s also the kind of car that has written history for the car industry.
At the time, the two-year-old FabriccaItalianaAutomobil Torino company (which is where FIAT gets its name from) had only just presented two vehicles: a bus and a revolutionary new type of firemen’s trailer at an exhibition in Milan. The first truck became a roaring success, with a flatbed made of seasoned wood and even the Armed Forces were showing an interest in the new vehicle, thinking it would be ideal for them to lug large amounts of equipment around. It was true, as it was both useful and efficient. It wasn’t long before they started using it. By 1911, the British Post Office was one of Fiat’s biggest customers, ordering the 1F van more than almost anyone else. Why is that? Because the 1846cc engine had a carrying capacity of 500kg, which was ideal for carrying letters and parcels around the roads of Britain. It was a huge success!
After the First World War, the world of motor vehicle manufacture changed forever, and in the mid-1920s industry and the commercial sectors boomed. Fiat foresaw this and invested in growing the commercial arm of their business, working hard to accelerate the growth of road haulage vehicles. When the Balilla van (nicknamed the Pygmy) arrived in 1932, Fiat had a real name for commercial vehicles, with 113,000 Balillas produced. Fiat was prepared for what was to come and that’s why it flourished at the time. Seeing ahead has been proven to be one of its traits.
With Italy’s involvement in the Second World War almost bringing the economy to its knees, vehicle production dropped hugely. It was a very difficult time but Fiat held on and after the war they turned back to their efforts in growing the road haulage market, launching the Multipla 600, Fiat 238 and a range of other vehicles throughout the 60s and 70s. It grew at an unexpected pace and nothing could stop it. With pick-ups being introduced as well as the conventional styles of van, it was proof if ever it were needed that Fiat was well and truly at the forefront of commercial vehicle innovation. But this innovation did not stop there. It went on until today.
With a number of awards to Fiat’s name (in fact, it’s pretty much dominated the Van of the Year awards in the past eight years or so) and a growing market share in the commercial vehicles sector, Fiat’s success looks set to grow even further, with the company capitalising on the huge growth in small business startups around Britain and Europe in recent years. With the demand for reliable, quality commercial vehicles growing ever larger, Fiat’s appeal and market share certainly looks set to grow with it.
Reading about the history of Fiat and the car industry as a whole makes us wonder what’s next. Knowing all this, could there be anyone able to predict how trends and the market will move? Is Fiat sure to continue winning awards or will another brand be taking its glorious place? Let us know your own predictions.
