“Imagine being Benito Mussolini on May 15 1939.” The crowd before you is strangely cold. This is the inauguration of FIAT Mirafiori. Food prices are up. The threat of war looms large. You ask a question of the 50000 assembled but only a few hundred respond. You leave the stage. This is the story of FIAT Mirafiori.
FIAT Mirafiori is more than just a factory. It is the headquarters and industrial district of Fiat. Fiat is a subsidiary of FCA Italy, now part of Stellantis. It is also the headquarters of CNH Industrial Group. The name Mirafiori comes from the district it is in. This district gets its name from an old Savoy castle.
Once, FIAT Mirafiori was Italy’s largest industrial complex. It stands as Europe’s oldest car factory still partly running. The area spans 2000000 square meters. Twenty kilometers of railway lines and 11 kilometers of underground roads connect warehouses. The office building on Corso Giovanni Agnelli is 220 meters long and five stories high. It is covered in white Finale stone. In 2011, the plant’s electricity production was around 210 GWh per year. Around 18000 people work here. In 2012, FIAT Mirafiori produced about 41600 cars. Today, it makes the Fiat 500e, Maserati Levante, Maserati Ghibli, and Maserati Quattroporte.
Since 1939, FIAT Mirafiori has produced over 35 types of cars. That amounts to 28.7 million vehicles. The first model planned was the Fiat 700. World War II halted that project. Car production began in 1947 with the Fiat 500 B “Topolino” and the Fiat 1100. These lines moved from the Lingotto factory.
On March 5 1943, a strike began in workshop 19. Soon, 100000 workers joined. This was the first major worker rebellion. It spread to factories across Northern Italy. Known as the “strikes of March 1943,” it marked the start of the fascist regime’s collapse. It was the first sign of anti-fascist resistance. Air raids heavily damaged the factory during the war. It was rebuilt and expanded by 1958, doubling capacity. After the war, the most advanced Fiat designs were concentrated here. FIAT Mirafiori became Turin’s greatest industrial development site.
In 1956, “Mirafiori-Sud” opened. This expansion housed sheet metal stamping and mechanical machining. The original area, “Mirafiori-Nord,” handled paving, painting, assembly, finishing, and testing.
1969 saw the Hot Autumn. Contract disputes and student demands shook Italy. Enrico Berlinguer spoke at the gates of FIAT Mirafiori, occupied by workers. In the early 1970s, FIAT Mirafiori upgraded to produce the Fiat 131. Honoring the plant, it was named the 131 Mirafiori.
In October 2001, Lancia Thesis production started after the Fiat Rivalta plant closed. In 2002, Fiat moved Lancia Lybra and Alfa Romeo 166 production here. In 2003, the Fiat Idea and Lancia Musa began production. In 2006, a second assembly line for the Fiat Grande Punto started.
In 2008, Abarth’s new headquarters opened in Officina 83. The new Abarth 500 was also presented. July 2012 marked the end of Fiat Idea and Lancia Musa production. In 2016, Maserati Levante production began. In summer 2018, the last Alfa Romeo Mito was built.
FIAT Mirafiori stands as a testament to Italy’s industrial history. It has seen war, strikes, and innovation. Today, it looks towards the future of electric vehicles. As you stand here, remember the workers, the cars, and the history made within these walls.