FIAT stands for Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino.  The company began in 1899, started by Giovanni Agnelli and Emanuele Cacherano di Bricherasio and based at Corso Dante in Turin.  Rather than making expensive vehicles for the rich, their philosophy was to produce cars that were affordable to the many.  In 1923, the company moved to a 5-storey purpose-built factory at Lingotto, where finished cars were driven around a rooftop test track before being delivered.  In its long history, FIAT has also manufactured bicycles, railway engines, military vehicles, tractors, aircraft and weapons.  In 2014, FIAT merged with Chrysler to become the world’s eighth largest car builder.  The company manufactures in several  countries other than Italy and its products are sold worldwide.              (Background photographs were taken at Centro Storico FIAT and at Lingotto, both in Turin.)