Portraits of the men who created four brands that forged the history of the automobile.
What is a father’s greatest dream? To have a large family! But only in a handful of cases does this dream come true on a grand and epic scale. It happened to Giovanni Agnelli, grandfather of namesake Gianni Agnelli who was known as L'Avvocato ("The Lawyer"); Nicola Romeo who, despite not being the founder of Alfa Romeo, was nevertheless one of the fathers of the brand; and two other men who gave their names to car brands they invented, Karl Abarth and Vincenzo Lancia. Here we remember four founding fathers of the Italian automobile.
Giovanni Agnelli was the progenitor of the family that still owns the Fiat brand, which is at the heart of the FCA Group.
Together with other entrepreneurs, he co-founded Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, later abbreviated to Fiat, back in 1899. He subsequently became the firm’s CEO and president, on the way to fulfilling a dream that was both ambitious and modern: to bring mobility within everyone’s reach. This was demonstrated by the Type 1 Fiacre produced from 1908, the first Fiat car designed for use as a taxi; the Fiat Zero, designed in 1910, introduced in 1912 and one of the first examples of an everyman's car; and the cutely styled Topolino from 1936, which enjoyed huge commercial success.
A.L.F.A., or Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili ("Anonymous Lombard Automobile Factory"), was established on 24 June 1910 by a group of entrepreneurs led by Ugo Stella. The current name Alfa Romeo was adopted a decade or so later when engineer Nicola Romeo took over and developed the firm into a specialised producer of cars with a sporty imprint.
Sportscar and touring car victories followed in the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio (from 1923, with the birth of the Quadrifoglio badge) and numerous Grand Prix, cementing the company’s indelible association with the glamour of competitions, as well as with the men who built its legendary reputation. They include Giuseppe Merosi, the company’s first designer, and Vittorio Jano, the father of legendary Alfa Romeo designs during the interwar period. Following in their footsteps came Giuseppe Luraghi and Orazio Satta Puliga, to name but a few.
Karl Abarth was born in Austria during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but later became a naturalised Italian citizen. After his motorcycle racing career was ended by a serious accident, he continued to race successfully in sidecars. Abarth’s racing experience and talent for developing and tuning engines prompted him to found his eponymous company in 1949. Its logo, a scorpion, was both his zodiac sign and an emblem for aggressive engines. Abarth was behind some famous upgrades including the Fiat 600, which was initially sold with Abarth silencers and then with a conversion kit (1955-1956).
Vincenzo Lancia worked at Fiat alongside Giovanni Agnelli, but his drive and determination led him in 1906 to set up his own business and start producing models that bore his name. Brilliant and tireless, he was also an accomplished racing driver before dedicating all his energy to the production of Lancia cars. In 1930, along with other entrepreneurs, he co-founded another legendary brand, the Pininfarina coachbuilder and design studio.
Yet another example of how these great entrepreneurs and designers set out to become fathers not only of families, but also of companies, innovations and dreams. So when millions and millions of drivers around the world celebrate Fathers’ Day—which in Italy falls on 19 March— these founding fathers also deserve to be remembered for the industry they helped to create and nurture.
