– The factory in Turin, opened in 1939, shaped the history of the Italian automobile industry. – Where the first generation of the Cinquecento rolled off the production line in 1957, the new, fully electric Fiat 500 is now built. – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)’s largest plant in the world employs around 20.000 people in production and related areas such as development, design, sales, financial services and spare parts supply. – The completely rebuilt production of the Fiat 500 alone employs around 1.200 people. – The Mirafiori complex is also home to the Motor Village sales center, the Heritage Hub classic car department, the FCA Bank headquarters and a center of excellence for design and sustainable mobility.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is producing the new Fiat 500 in the company's most traditional and largest plant, in the Mirafiori district of Turin. The fully electric vehicle, which features unmistakable Italian style, the spirit of La Dolce Vita, technology and innovation will revolutionise the mobility of tomorrow, will be manufactured exactly where the first generation of the Fiat 1957 rolled off the production line in 500. With the opening of a completely new production line for the electric Fiat 500, the Mirafiori plant, which opened in 1939, is building a symbolic bridge between the past and the future.
Today, around 20.000 people work in the Mirafiori complex in production and the associated areas of development, design, sales, financial services and spare parts supply. Around 1.200 employees are employed in the production of the new Fiat 500. The factory is designed to produce 80.000 units per year, which can be increased if necessary. In total, FCA is investing more than 500 million euros in design, development and production facilities for the new Fiat 700. With technical development, design and production concentrated in Turin, the new Fiat 500 is completely "Made at Fiat" or "Made in Turin".
Newly built production for the Fiat 500
The design and technology of the fully electric Fiat 500 required the construction of a completely new production concept. In order to optimize the product and processes, the process of Augmented Reality where computer-generated scenarios supplemented traditional planning. With the help of a special logistics system, orders are recorded and this data is sent to external suppliers in advance. The system also arranges individual components in the order in which they are needed on the production line. The heart of the employee organization is the team leader, who coordinates a group of employees and is responsible for their training. The team leaders manage a small part of the process and are responsible for quality and production flow. For example, they can check and confirm each individual work step on monitors next to the production line or on their smartphone.
Production of the new Fiat 500 begins on the "Trim Line", which was designed with ergonomics in mind. The height of the workstations can be varied depending on the tasks to be completed and the parts to be assembled, so that employees can maintain a comfortable posture. The body shells reach the "Trim Line" after painting. The next step is the dismantling of the doors, which are completed on a special line. Robots are used, among other things, to apply sealing materials. The next step is the assembly of cables, the dashboard and the center console. Finally, the dashboard and the center console are installed in the body, which is then conveyed to the next station. Thanks to the covered area available at the FCA Mirafiori plant, logistics and component assembly are close to the production line, which significantly streamlines the entire process.
A production-specific feature is the operator terminal, a monitor at each workstation that records the progress of assembly. At the start of the shift, each employee logs into the system with their ID card and checks that all safety devices are working correctly. By tapping the screen, the employee can certify the required quality, request material or ask the team leader for assistance. When help is requested at the touch of a button, the team leader hears an alarm and receives a call on their smartphone. If the team leader is unable to solve the problem before the vehicle leaves the assembly station, the line stops automatically to allow further processing.
Another innovation that FCA introduced with the production of the new Fiat 500 concerns the assembly of the windows. Robots install the windshield and rear window with the utmost precision. Another new feature is the laser application of the chassis number. Compared to traditional technologies, this process ensures a better finish and generates neither noise nor vibrations.
The next step is the so-called marriage, the joining of the engine and the body. One of the most innovative elements in the production of the new Fiat 500 is the assembly of the electric drive. While one group of workers assembles the body, another team prepares the chassis and the components of the electric drive. Compared to a conventional vehicle, the platform of the new Fiat 500 includes the electric drive module and the battery block. After the drive unit has been installed in the body, the semi-finished vehicle is transported to the next station by state-of-the-art, automatic industrial trucks. There, the doors, seats and steering wheel are assembled under strict quality control. Another innovation in the production of the fully electric Fiat 500 is the technical equipment for final inspection: the roller test bench and chassis measurement do not require exhaust gas extraction.
FCA Mirafiori plant is completely converted for e-mobility
Opened in 1939, the Turin plant marked the beginning of modern production for Fiat. The complex is now one of the longest-running automobile factories in Europe. Covering an area of over two million square meters, it features nearly 12 kilometers of underground roads for transporting engines and components, and more than 20 kilometers of transport systems for moving materials and finished cars.
The history of the Mirafiori plant is inextricably linked to the history of Turin. In fact, the developments that the factory and the city have undergone over the decades are in some respects very similar. With the production of the new Fiat 500, a new chapter begins for this historic plant, which also represents a milestone in the history of FCA and the Italian automotive industry. In fact, FCA is currently undergoing a transformation that has its roots in the Mirafiori complex and the production there. The start of production of the new Fiat 500 writes a new chapter in the history of the Mirafiori plant.
FCA Mirafiori plant – the home of the new Fiat 500
But FCA's commitment to sustainable mobility, especially in Mirafiori, is not only focused on the new vehicle models, but also on innovative electrification systems. Within the complex, a pilot project for vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) was implemented, a dedicated battery assembly plant was built and a large solar power plant with photovoltaic panels was put into operation. In addition, FCA has signed a cooperation agreement with the city of Turin to integrate electrified mobility into the infrastructure and management of restricted access zones (ZTL).
birthplace of iconic automobiles
The Mirafiori plant has been a birthplace of brilliant ideas and futuristic projects since 1939. The factory has produced iconic vehicle models, written automotive history, advanced the development of technology and in many cases even initiated changes in Italian society. A first milestone was the Fiat Topolino, the smallest mass-produced automobile in the world in the late 1940s. In 1955, production of the Fiat 600 began. Italy's first people's car was so popular after just a few months on the market that the waiting time was up to a year. From 1957, the most iconic Fiat of all time was built in Mirafiori. The Cinquecento mobilized the entire nation after the Second World War and accompanied the economic miracle.
From 1980 onwards, the Fiat Panda was built in Mirafiori, a model that has been produced to date in three series with more than 7,5 million units. In 1983, the Fiat Uno was launched with a memorable presentation at NASA's Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida, followed by the Fiat Punto in 1993. Fiat also produced the 1100, 127 and 131 models in Mirafiori. Almost every Italian family album contains photos showing a car built in this factory.
Mirafiori has changed just like the city of Turin, and successes and difficulties have shaped the joint development. Today, the complex, which includes the main Mirafiori plant and an extension in neighboring Grugliasco, employs around 20.000 people in production and the associated areas of development, design, sales, financial services and spare parts supply. This makes the complex FCA's largest plant worldwide. If you also take into account the catchment area of the plant in the Piedmont region, there are another 4.000 FCA employees and 40.000 employees who work for suppliers.
Fiat built the following models in Mirafiori: 500 "Topolino" (developed in 1939, production started in 1947), 1100 (1947), 1400 (1950), 1900 (1952), 1100/103 (1953), 600 (1955), 1200 (1957), 1800 (1959), 2100 (1959), 1300 (1961), 1500 (1961), 850 (1964), 124 (1966), 125 (1967), 127 (1971), 131 (1974), Panda (1980), Uno (1983), Croma (1985), Punto (1993), Marea (1996), Multipla (1998), Punto (1999), Stilo (2001), Idea (2003) and Grande Punto (2005). The plant also produced the Lancia Thema (1984), Autobianchi Y10 (1985), Lancia Lybra (2002), Lancia Thesis (2002), Lancia Musa (2004) as well as the Alfa Romeo Mito (since 2008) and Maserati Levante (since 2016). The new Fiat 500 now opens a new chapter in the history of the traditional plant.
More than just automobile production
In recent years, Mirafiori has undergone extensive renovation and expansion work. The Motor Village opened in 2006. Part of the historic wall at Gate 0 in Piazza Cattaneo, which once formed the dividing line between the factory and the city, was demolished. Near the Motor Village, an office building was extensively renovated and is now the headquarters of FCA Bank. Another area, where the new cars used to roll out of the factory, has been recultivated. The buildings of the former factory hall 2 are now a popular business and office district. The Centro Stile design center, the Abarth workshops and the offices of FCA Services and CNH Industrial are located here, as are the group's administration, IT and accounting departments.
This area also houses the Heritage Hub, the centre for the care of the incomparable historical heritage of the group's Italian brands. Inaugurated in 2019, the building is a workplace but also houses an impressive exhibition of over 250 vehicles from FCA's historical collection. In addition, FCA has always paid great attention to training. Today, the Mirafiori complex gives space to a campus of the Polytechnic University of Turin.
The transformation of the Turin plants also includes the former Fiat factory in neighboring Rivalta. When the renovation work there is completed by the beginning of next year, it will become a state-of-the-art distribution center for Mopar brand spare parts. From here, over 5.000 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and other markets around the world will be supplied. Fiat opened the Rivalta factory in 1967 and built the Fiat 124 Spider and the Dino, Ritmo and Bravo models, among others. In the future, the former Rivalta plant will house an innovative warehouse for the storage and distribution of accessories and spare parts, based on the principles of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
