History

The Mirafiori plant was inaugurated by Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli in May 1939, three years after construction began on what was then marshland south of Turin. At peak production in the 1970s the complex employed over 60,000 workers, making it one of the largest single manufacturing sites in the world and a touchstone of postwar Italian economic identity. The Officine 81 building that now houses the Heritage Hub was originally a maintenance workshop for production equipment; its scale and ceiling height made it ideal for displaying vehicles without altering the industrial character of the space.

Fiat began conserving significant vehicles informally from the 1950s, and the practice became systematic with the creation of the Fiat Centro Storico archive in the 1970s. When Fiat merged with Chrysler and later PSA to form Stellantis in 2021, the heritage preservation mandate expanded to cover the combined portfolio of marques. The public opening in 2019 coincided with the 120th anniversary of Fiat's founding and marked the first time the collection had been accessible on a regular basis rather than by private arrangement.

The Lancia and Abarth holdings are among the most historically significant. Several Lancia rally cars from the 1970s and 1980s — including Stratos and Delta variants — are maintained in running condition, while Abarth competition cars document the marque's evolution from Carlo Abarth's early tuning workshops through successive championship campaigns. Alfa Romeo examples extend from pre-war racing machines to 1970s saloons.