Following the end of the Benito Mussolini’s rule of Italy in 1945, the Agnelli family, led by Fiat’s founder and chairman Giovanni Agnelli, lost control of the Fiat motor company because of their links with the dictatorship. Eventually the family regained control of the business in 1963 when Giovanni’s grandson, Gianni Agnelli, took the helm.
having assumed control Gianni set about restructuring Fiat’s management, making it much less centralised. Car and lorry and tractor production were effectively made independent of one another. The more flexible regime allowed Fiat to plan its expansion and in 1967 it took over fellow Italian concern Autobianchi. The takeover allowed the company to overtake German competitor Volkswagen in sales and by 1968 revenue exceeded $2 billion.
The following year Fiat expanded further, taking a controlling interest in Italian rivals Ferrari and Lancia and was being seen quite capable of taking the lead over the American powerhouse of Detroit in the race for car production dominance. Continue reading ‘History of Fiat – The Post War Years’ »