The beginnings of Fiat come from the late nineteenth century. Then, thanks to Count Roberto Biscaretti di Ruffii and lieutenant cavalry Giovani Agnelli, on July 11, 1899, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino - FIAT was founded. From Italian means the Italian passenger car factory in Turin. Thirty shareholders contributed 800,000 lire, and Giovanni Agneli was also a member of the supervisory board, who later became CEO of the company.
The first vehicle produced was Fiat 3 1/2 HP. It consisted of a carriage with a folding canvas booth above the rear seat. A two-cylinder water-cooled unit that had a capacity of 657 cm3 and produced 3.5 hp was responsible for its drive. It is worth noting that the vehicle was equipped with a trumpet with an inflatable pear, which served as a sound signal, and then this solution was taken over by subsequent manufacturers.
In the following years, further models were introduced to the market, and in 1905 there were already 16 passenger cars on offer. The cars were powered by four-cylinder engines, and in addition their characteristic feature was the large carbide headlights, which helped travel after dusk.
In 1908, 1,000 Fiat 1 Fiacre models were produced. It was used for public transport, including in London, and it was in this car that Fiat used the "barca" engine system with integrated gearbox. Two years later, a series of Tipo models was introduced, in which batteries were first introduced.
Every year in London there is a vintage car race called "London to Brighton Veteran Car Run" at which you can still see the oldest Fiat in the UK. It is also one of the rarest, still existing in the world - Fiat 3½ hp from 1899. The "London to Brighton Veteran Car Run" race is a 60-mile distance between Hyde Park and Madeira Drive in Brighton.
The car belongs to FCA UK Ltd. and is permanently exhibited at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu. 2019 is the 123th anniversary of the first London-Brighton races, which commemorate the adoption of the Locomotives on the Highways Act, a law that lifted the obligation that people holding a red flag must run in front of motor vehicles, and the speed limit was increased from 6 km / h to 22 km / h.