Fiat
4 HP (3½ HP) – first Fiat

Why it matters

The 3 1/2 HP was the first car made by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, built from the end of 1899. It still resembled a horse-drawn carriage but its engine had features of later cars.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Fiat was founded on 11 July 1899 by about ten Turin aristocrats and notables, and the first car was built at the end of that year to a design by Aristide Faccioli. The "Duc" body came from the Turin coachbuilder Marcello Alessio and seated two or three people.

Twenty-six cars were made from 1899 to 1900. Four survive; three are in the FCA collection in the National Automobile Museum in Turin, at the Fiat Historical Centre in Turin and at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Fiat describes a carriage-like car with large thin wooden-rimmed wheels, double leaf-spring suspension and a "Duc" body by Marcello Alessio. Two people sit facing forward and one faces rearward. The two-cylinder engine lies horizontally at the back under the seat, with overhead valves; exhaust valves are cam-operated and inlet valves open by vacuum.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   FIAT 3 1/2 HP Level A FCA Heritage (Stellantis)

   • Twenty-six cars were made from 1899 to 1900
   • Twenty-six cars were made, four of which have survived
   • two cylinders arranged horizontally (Tech data)
   • 679 cm3 (Tech data)
   • exhaust valves were controlled by cams (Tech data)
   • 4,2 HP at 800 rpm (Tech data)
   • double leaf-spring suspension (Tech data)
   • WEIGHT 680 kg (Tech data)
   • 35 km/h (Tech data)

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   FIAT 3 ½ HP | Stellantis Heritage Level A

   • 26 Fiat 3½ HP cars made 1899–1900 ("Twenty-six cars were made from 1899 to 1900, four of which have survived")

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   FIAT 3 1/2 HP (1899-1900) Level B autoevolution

   • around 8 units were built in 1899 out of a total of 24 produced

   Accessed 2026-11-12
4. 4
   Museo dell'automobile - FIAT mod. 4 HP Level C Museo dell'Automobile di Torino

   • rear-mounted, two-cylinder engine
   • three-speed gearbox with no reverse and chain drive
   • three-speed gearbox with no reverse

   Accessed 2026-11-13