Fiat S.p.A. - 2000 dated Specimen Stock Certificate
Inv# SE3479 Specimen Stock
Specimen Stock printed by American Bank Note Company.
Fiat S.p.A., formerly known as Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin), was an Italian holding company primarily engaged in the automotive industry. It was later succeeded by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA). The Fiat Group encompassed numerous renowned brands, including Ferrari, Maserati, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and the Chrysler Group.
On January 29, 2014, it was announced that Fiat S.p.A., the former owner of the Fiat Group, would merge into a new Netherlands-based holding company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA). This merger was scheduled to take place before the end of 2014, effectively making FCA the new owner of the Fiat Group. On August 1, 2014, Fiat S.p.A. received the necessary shareholder approval to proceed with the merger, which had already been approved by the board of directors. The merger became effective on October 12, 2014.
The history of Fiat dates back to 1899 when a group of investors, including Giovanni Agnelli, founded the company. Over the course of its over century-long existence, Fiat has expanded its product range beyond automobiles, manufacturing railway engines and carriages, military vehicles, farm tractors, and aircraft. In 2013, Fiat, along with Chrysler, held the second position as the second-largest European automaker in terms of volumes produced, ranking seventh globally ahead of Honda, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Suzuki, Renault, and Daimler AG.
Throughout its history, Fiat has made several strategic acquisitions, expanding its automotive portfolio. Notable acquisitions include Lancia in 1968, becoming a shareholder of Ferrari in 1969, acquiring control of Alfa Romeo from the Italian government in 1986, purchasing Maserati in 1993, and ultimately becoming the full owner of Chrysler Group LLC in 2014. Fiat Group currently manufactures vehicles under twelve brands: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Ram Trucks, and SRT. In 1970, Fiat employed over 100,000 people in Italy when its production reached its peak, with 1.4 million cars produced in the country. As of 2002, Fiat had built over a million vehicles at six plants in Italy, and the country accounted for more than a third of the company’s revenue. Fiat-brand cars are manufactured in various locations worldwide. Outside Italy, Brazil is the largest producer, with the Fiat brand being the market leader. The group also has factories in Argentina, Poland, and Mexico, where Fiat-brand vehicles are manufactured at plants owned and operated by Chrysler for export to the U.S., Brazil, Italy, and other markets. Fiat has a long history of licensing its products in other countries. Additionally, the company has numerous alliances and joint ventures globally, with the main ones located in Serbia, France, Turkey, India, and China. Gianni Agnelli, the grandson of founder Giovanni Agnelli, served as Fiat’s chairman from 1966 to 1996. He then served as honorary chairman until his passing on January 24, 2003, during which time Cesare Romiti served as chairman. Paolo Fresco briefly succeeded Agnelli as chairman, followed by Paolo Cantarella as CEO. Umberto Agnelli took over as chairman from 2003 to 2004. After Umberto Agnelli’s death on May 28, 2004, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was appointed chairman. Agnelli’s heir, John Elkann, became vice chairman at the age of 28, and other family members also served on the board. On June 1, 2004, Sergio Marchionne replaced Giuseppe Morchio as CEO.
Stock and Bond Specimens are made and usually retained by a printer as a record of the contract with a client, generally with manuscript contract notes such as the quantity printed. Specimens are sometimes produced for use by the printing company's sales team as examples of the firm’s products. These are usually marked "Specimen" and have no serial numbers.
Ebay ID: labarre_galleries