Founder of FIAT: Who is Giovanni Agnelli?

(1866-1945) Italian industrialist. He is the founder of FIAT, one of the world's leading industrial organizations. He was born on August 13, 1866, in Villar Perosa, Piedmont. He graduated from the Modena Military School in 1886 as a cavalry officer. He then graduated from Turin Polytechnic School. He left the military in 1892. In 1899, he took part in the board of directors of FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) as one of the founding partners. In 1920, he bought the shares of other partners and became the sole owner and chairman of the company. He entered the Senate in 1923. He also turned to tourism and organized a large ski resort in Sestriere. He died in Turin on 16 December 1945. After his death, his son and later his grandson took over the management of FIAT factories.

Agnelli's policy had a great impact on the development of FIAT, which was in its strongest period, especially after World War II. When the company started with a small factory of 50 workers, it was producing 6 HP engines with internal combustion. Agnelli has made these engines usable in sea, air, and land vehicles. After starting automobile production, the idea of introducing these cars to international races also accelerated the development of the company. After 1904, when the production of military wagons, buses, and various industrial vehicles was started, the company had grown three times. In 1905, the FIAT Mugiano company started shipbuilding. FIAT San Giorgio was selling the submarines it produced to various European countries. Founded in 1906, Officine di Villar Perosa is the pioneer of the ball and roller bearing industry in Italy. FIAT factories, which started mass car production in 1912, developed a very cheap car during the First World War. After World War II, these small, public cars made up a large percentage of production. Agnelli benefited from the financial support of the Instituto Finanziario Industriale (Industrial Finance Institution), which he also founded while expanding his company by expanding into various sectors of the industry.

FIAT, which gained its real power after the 1950s, had a say in the management of many Italian companies and was among the giants of the Italian industry. The organization, which became a multinational company by merging with the Citroen and Berliet groups in 1970, took first place among all European producers, surpassing Volkswagen's production volume.