FIAT ( FABBRICA ITALIANA DI AUTOMOBILI TORINO / ITALY ( 1899 -present )
The well known FIAT Company sold the first cars to the public in 1899.
In more then 100 years they used incountable numbers of different car emblems.
You still can find FIAT emblems never seen before...
To my knowledge this was the first FIAT emblem, used from 1899 to 1901. This emblem was affixed in the front or to the firewall, i.e. the wall that separates the vehicle interior from the engine compartment.
Size
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7.4 cm x 5.2 cm
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Year
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1899- 1901
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Estimate
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1901 FIAT with the emblem shown above (Museo Torino)
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1903 FIAT with brass emblem
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close up of the 1903 emblem
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One of my FIAT favorites:
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| firewall emblem showing the chassis number |
This emblem was fixed at the firewall between motor and passenger compartment.
In Europe it was used from 1901 to 1904. In the States Fiat used this emblem a few years longer. The advertisment from 1909 is proving this.
| Size | 10.7 cm x 6.8 cm |
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| Year | 1901 - 1909 |
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| Estimate |
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| American FIAT sales brochure of 1909 |
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| really bad repro of the firewall emblem (made in Germany by Göde) |
From 1901 onwards FIAT always used a bevelled letter A:
An oval enamelled emblem followed for a full seventeen years, from 1904 until 1921:
On top you see the American FIAT radiator badge enameled in transparent red and dark blue ( it is from the Lee Roy Hartung collection that was up for auction in 2011, see post:
Lee Roy Hartung).
In the middle the first European oval FIAT emblem, completly flat.
Bottom the first oval emblem that is curved.
| Size | 10.2 cm x 6.0 cm |
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| Year | 1904 - 1921 |
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| backside without makers mark |
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| 1921 advertisement for the Italian market (colored by AI) |
FIAT was also (successfully) present on the German market, as this ad shows:
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| 1922 FIAT advertisement still showing the old emblem |
Then came the first round FIAT emblem, red letters on white background. It was affixed to the radiator from 1921 - 1925, of course using a bevelled letter A.
| Size | 7.3 cm with laurel |
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| Year | 1921 -1925 |
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| 1924 advertisement which shows only the most important things: the driver and the emblem (lol) |
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| German sales brochure proudly showing the emblem |
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| rare v-shaped version on a FIAT 519 S |
| Size | 6.8 cm x 8.6 cm |
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| Year | 1923 |
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| V-shaped emblem of my collection |
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| backside of the v-shaped emblem |
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1927 German advertisement showing the red / white emblem
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1925 to 1930 came the next stage of evolution:
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| The typical FIAT blue with white letters emerged. The A is still bevelled top right. |
| Size | 5.9 cm |
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| Year | 1925 - 1930 |
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| Estimate |
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| there are two sizes: the large emblem is much rarer and more expensiv |
Some of the FIAT type 509 exported to the UK had a second emblem under the regular emblem, a white angular emblem with the word "ITALY" :
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FIAT 509 for sale, seen in Beaulieu 2017
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very stylish 1927 advertisement with the above shown emblem
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When I bought the following emblem the seller told me that is was made for FIAT cars used by the dictator Mussolini in the nineteenthirties. But there is no evidence for this statement. Nevertheless it is a very rare unusual emblem.
| Size | 5.9 cm |
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| Year | c. 1925 - 1930 |
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| Estimate |
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| backside of the black / red emblem with makers mark from LORIOLI MILANO |
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| FIAT 514 French brochure showing the emblem (source Archives de la Somme GUER 1334 med 4) |
In 1930 / 31 the emblem was still round. But left and right from the name FIAT you now find two strokes:
Size
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5.0 cm
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Year
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1930- 1931
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Estimate
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There was also a red version:
The same design for the Italian FIAT and the German NSU emblem :
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In 1929 FIAT the German NSU autodivision: Therefore the same design ! For more information about NSU click here
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Another round and red emblem was also offered with a brass base with wings:
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Still looking for a contemporary photo showing this particular emblem. Do you have one ?
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Size
| 11.1 cm x 5.4 cm ( with wings )
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Year
| c. 1930
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Estimate
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Some ot the FIAT Tipo 514 had an angular emblem with a top :
In 1932 the FIAT emblem became completly rectangular:
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| This angular form continued to be produced even after WWII |
| Size | 3.4 cm x 5.2 cm |
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| Year | 1932 - 1939 |
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| 1936 FIAT 500 Balilla showing the new rectangular emblem |
In 1965, FIAT reintroduced an enameled emblem, even though we were already in the age of plastic. For this reason, this emblem was mounted on the hood only of the 850 Sport Sider and 124 Sport Spider coupes and convertibles. With the Series II of the 124 Sport Spider, the company switched back to a plastic emblem, so this emblem was the last one made of enamel.
| Size | 5.8 cm |
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| Year | 1965 - 1978 |
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Since 1979, the emblem has had a very similar design, but was once again made entirely of plastic:
| Size | 7.2 cm |
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| Year | 1960 - 1970 |
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It wasn´t until the 1980s that the FIAT emblem underwent a radical development. A long rectangle with the four letters FIAT separated by strokes, with the A no longer being bevelled, emerged for the first time in 1982. It can thus already be seen that the emblems were continuing to pursue an abstract idea.
| Size | diverse |
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| Year | 1982 - 1999 |
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The highlight of abstraction started in the year 1984. Here, for years FIAT only offered 5 strokes that were intended to symbolise the letters of the FIAT emblem:
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| The automobile drivers had to inherently place the four letters between the strokes in their thoughts ! |
| Size | diverse
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| Year | 1984 - 2002 |
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1995 brochure showing the highlight of abstraction. Already today the normal citizen does not recognize this sign as FIAT emblem.
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In 2002 came the backwards flip. FIAT recalled its own history and re - affixed the traditionally familiar FIAT lettering, with the A bevelled top right, to the automobiles in a round plastic version, thus citing the emblem of 1925:
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to the left: 2002 emblem to the right: 1925 emblem
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| Size | diverse |
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| Year | 2002 - 2006 |
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In 2014 the FIAT emblem was re-modernised. The plastic emblem now recieved a red background, which had already been used in the same way in the 1920s and 1930s. This emblem continues to be used today as well.
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| evolution to the recent plastic emblem ( middle ) |
| Size | divers |
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| Year | since 2006 |
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Now we have a look at FIAT special emblems:
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| FIAT ISOTTA FRASCHINI radiator emblem |
This radiator emblem is for sale. You just have to buy the whole machine, a FIAT chassis with ISOTTA FRASCHINI six cylinder engine. I saw this emblem on a car offered at the BEAULIEU / ENGLAND swap meet 2013. They told me that the car is from 1905, so this should be one of the earliest enamelled radiator emblems ever made. Or you buy for the asked price a nice apartement in down town LONDON....
This particular emblem was made by Bregonzio, a defunct radiator emblem factory in Italy. It is a prototype emblem that never found its way on a car radiator. I guess because a tree is not a symbol for motion or speed,....
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| backside without makers mark |
| Size | 5.3 cm x 10.0 cm |
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| Year | unknown |
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FIAT also built buses and trucks. They often had a special emblem.
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very early FIAT truck radiator with embossed lettering
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Now this radiator has become a display area for even more FIAT emblems:
Some buses or trucks got their own emblem for example the Autocarri TIPO 632, 634 or 635 ( 1933). Here the version made in aluminium.
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large front emblem
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| Size | 7.5 cm x 14.0 cm |
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| Year | 1933
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.jpg) |
backside without makers mark
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if you look closely you can see the painted radiator emblem on a painted brochure (1933)
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enameled version of the emblem shown above
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| Size | 7.5 cm x 14.0 cm |
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| Year | 1931 - 1933
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.jpg) |
manual showing the special bus / truck emblem
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.jpg) |
seen on a 1931 FIAT unrestored truck
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It is a pleasure to collect FIAT emblems. Even if your are collecting since years, you still find unknown FIAT emblems from special series. Here you see the letters FIAT in triangle with sunbeams behind.
Ever seen this emblem on a car ?
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| FIAT radiator emblem |
| Size | 5.4 cm x 4.2 cm |
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| Year | unknown |
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| Estimate |
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| backside without makers mark |
This rare emblem was obviously also used on vehicles, probably on trucks, as the aluminum frame with the fasteners shows:
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FIAT 503 motometer emblem made by Bregonzio
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Another mysterious FIAT emblem. I don´t know a second FIAT emblem with white and yellow stripes. Do you ? I guess it is not prewar; maybe from the fifties or sixties. But it is worth to be mentioned here because of it´s rarity.
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| FIAT special series |
| Size | 5.7 cm x 8.3 cm |
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| Year | unknown |
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Here you see another FIAT emblem I couldn´t specify. The blue is (was) transparent as the red.
Who knows the type ? Today I know that it is a front badge from FIAT buses of the ninteenfifties.
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FIAT radiator emblem without makers mark
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| Size | 4.4 x 8.4 cm |
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| Year | ca. 1955 |
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In the 1950s there was an assembly plant for the FIAT Topolino in the Netherlands. The vehicles built there were given an additional emblem on the back:
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you can read: GEMONTEERD IN NEDERLAND = built in Netherland
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There were a lot of accessory emblems for Fiat automobiles. Often they were more beautiful than the original and more elaborately made. Here are a few examples:
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| 1955 FIAT TOPOLINO emblem seen in Italy in 2013 |
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FIAT accessory emblem seen on a 1954 Topolino Pickup
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NOS accessory emblem: what a beautiful blue color
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another NOS accessory emblem
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FIAT 1400 Cabrio accessory emblem, seen in Padova in 2021
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| Did you know that this is also a FIAT accessory emblem ? |
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FIAT 600 accessory emblem to be able to close the hood (the engine was at the rear)
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Once again, FIAT has fallen back into minimalism. This is the current emblem, designed without any artistic ambition—for me personally, it’s a declaration of failure:
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| 2025 / 2026 FIAT badge lacking any artistic merit?! |
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| It doesn't help to print the word “FIAT” on the convertible top over and over again, does it? |
...and to finish off, how about a small exhibition of FIAT emblems after all?
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| part of my FIAT emblem collection |
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| look at the black enameled emblem on top of the radiator. It is extremly rare |
For more car and truck emblems see older posts or top right ( list of car makers ).
When using a smartphone please use the button webview.
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Very surprising to see the 1899-1901 Fiat emblem type not rated higher in rarity and collectibility as those badges are so infrequently see (at least in the U. S.). The 1899 emblem is a real cool find and thanks for showing it to us!
ReplyDeleteFrancis at MotometerCentral.com
only two stars ? The reason is that it is made of brass only, no enamel, only letters and numbers. There no special attraction for the collector but the age.
ReplyDeleteGiven the expert's explanation, the "two star" rating makes perfects sense. Please excuse my fondness for the simplistic . . . I have great appreciation for the simple sophisticated things in life and automobilia. Thank you for your time and clarification.
ReplyDeleteI am restoring a Fiat 514 ,1928, looking to purchase a radiator emblem blue , dilshan.ferdinando@gmail.com
ReplyDelete