Fiat has now for more than a century been the pounding heart of Italian engineering and industrial genius. It has given the world wonderful cars, and to me, besides the pre-war Balilla and Topolino, the post-war cars are even more iconic and are absolute milestones in automotive history. Let’s begin with the Fiat 1100 or millecento compact four dour sedan, which is still serving in India as a taxi and has been built there until a few years ago. I absolutely loved the PininFarina styled six cylinder 1800/2100 four door sedans launched in the sixties, and then of course the Seicento and the Cinquecento in ‘57…
About ten years later came the Fiat 124, the 1967 European car of the year, which put the whole east-bloc and Russia on wheels, built in Russian Togliattigrad as the Lada.
Then there was the Fiat 127, putting front wheel drive and excellent performance to the disposal of the masses. Soon then came the Panda, an absolute icon which I photographed in the Galerie de la Reine in Brussels for Keesings Auto Magazine at the time. This car I still find absolutely modern, by the way.
Now we live in different times, but the Panda is still inspiring many. Therefore only logical that Stellantis put its new Fiat Grande Panda on the new global line-up based on a multi-energy platform. FIAT now starts its transition from local-based production to a global offer through a common global platform. But there is still an Italian DNA left, as it has been styled at the Centro Stile in Turin, and certainly has lots of character as the photos show.
The new Grande Panda…
Olivier Francois, FIAT CEO and Stellantis Global Chief Marketing Officer, summarized it well at the presentation: “Currently we have launched FIAT’s comeback to the global mainstream based on 3 pillars: Italian design and development, global platform and local relevance—and the Grande Panda is the first member of our new global family.”
The Grande Panda will first land in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and will be available in both electric and hybrid versions.
Proudly presenting the big new Panda: John Elkann, Chairman of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO, and Olivier Francois, FIAT CEO and Stellantis CMO.
Needless to say that we eagerly await to get more acquainted with the Grande Panda soon, both in hybrid and E-versions, which, as we read, will be aggressively priced.
A Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani
But at this anniversary, celebrated on the iconic “Pista 500”, the circular test track on the roof of the famous Lignotto factory building, now converted in a hotel, where the walls of the guestrooms are decorated with mural size photos of details of historic Fiats and a MUST to spend a night when you are in Turin, Fiat stylists and Giorgio Armani designed together an elegant version of the 500e.
The standout exterior design element are the wheels, representing the GA logo on a macro scale. They become the car’s star feature, ensuring it stands out…
We hoe you enjoyed here the photos of the celebration, a very enjoyable event for a brand we always kept very close to our car-loving heart…
Hans Knol ten Bensel
Autoprova - for the Connaisseur 