Fiat Splits, Gets Two New Logos

Back in mid-September, Fiat shareholders approved Sergio Marchionne's plan to demerge Fiat’s cars from its industrial business, that will be completed on January 1st, 2011. Fiat's car and engine business, which also includes the Lancia and Alfa Romeo brands, as well as a 20% stake in Chrysler Group LLC, will be separated from its Iveco trucks unit, which manufactures farm and construction equipment.

The breakup will spawn two separate groups, Fiat SpA which will concentrate on the passenger cars market, and Fiat Industrial SpA incorporating the firm's truck, commercial vehicles, agricultural and construction equipment.

The Italian company today published the logos for the new-born companies. Fiat SpA is to be identified by a logo displaying the word Fiat in tall, condensed blue lettering on a white background. The new logos were created in response to the need to differentiate the automobile group from the product-related brands, reinforcing the parent company's role in the management of a multi-brand group.

The graphic design was intended, in particular, to create a visual identity which portrays the strong link between past and future. This has led to the reinterpretation of an iconic logo from the past, which is also strongly evocative of the modern and innovative. Fiat Industrial SpA group will have a logo with burnt gold lettering on a company's traditional blue background.

The two new logos are designed by Robilant Associati and will replace the current Fiat Group logo that the company adopted in October 2005.

In the long run, the demerger takes Sergio Marchionne a step closer to his goal of merging Fiat's auto business with Chrysler, with which it is now jointly developing cars.