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Surviving in the Global Market: ‘Americanisation’ and the Relaunch of Italy's Car Industry after the Second World War

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 December 2011

FRANCESCA FAURI
FRANCESCA FAURI*
Affiliation:
University of Bologna, Facoltà di Scienze Politiche Roberto Ruffilli, Via G. della Torre 5, Forlì, Italy; [email protected]
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Abstract

This contribution sheds light on the successful recovery strategies developed by the Italian car industry after the Second World War and in particular the ‘innovation through creative imitation policy’ that characterised its relationship with American producers. This policy was feasible because the Italian car sector, and Fiat in particular, was fairly well prepared to measure itself against the American model and aimed at technology-transfer-based Americanisation in order to make itself competitive in the global market. Mass production adapted to Italian plants and necessities, combined with Italian style and design, was seen as a path towards international relaunch. Fiat's subsequent development of its own technological resources and innovation strategy enabled it to weather the ups and downs of its long-term business history. When in 2009 an alliance with Chrysler was signed, Fiat's technological capabilities in the field of innovative ecological and fuel-saving technology and its long-standing attention to style and interior design were judged important inputs to help the American car-maker (and Fiat itself) to survive in the global market.

La survie dans le marché global: l'américanisation et le relancement de l'industrie automobile après la deuxième guerre mondiale

Cet article expose les stratégies de récupération proposées par l'industrie automobile italienne après la deuxième guerre mondiale, et surtout la politique de ‘l'innovation au moyen de l'imitation créatrice’ qui caractérisait la relation du secteur avec les producteurs américains. Le secteur automobile italien, en particulier Fiat, se trouvait à mesure du secteur transatlantique, et cherchait à réaliser une transformation par le biais d'un transfert technologique qui le préparerait à la compétition du marché global. Un relancement international fut planifié, fruit d'une adaptation de la fabrication en série au contexte italien, et de l'adoption du dessin et du style italiens. Fiat dévelopa par la suite ses propres ressources technologiques et stratégies d'innovation, et put ainsi négocier les hauts et les bas de sa longue histoire commerciale. Fiat signa en 2009 une alliance avec Chrysler, accord dans lequel les avances écologiques et la technologie pour économiser le carburant du fabricant italien, ainsi que sa valorisation bien enracinée du design aussi bien exterieur qu'intérieur, furent jugés apports importants pour la survie du fabricant américain (ainsi que de Fiat même) dans le marché global.

Den weltmarkt überleben: ‘amerikanisierung’ und der neubeginn der italienischen autoindustrie nach dem zweiten weltkrieg

Dieser Beitrag erhellt die erfolgreichen Wiederaufbaustrategien der italienischen Autoindustrie nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Er beschreibt insbesondere die Politik der ‘Innovation durch kreative Nachahmung’ von Fiat, welches das Verhältnis des Konzerns zu den amerikanischen Autoherstellern bestimmte. Eine solche Politik war möglich geworden, weil die italienischen Autoproduzenten inklusive Fiat besonders gut auf die amerikanische Konkurrenz vorbereitet waren. Sie waren darum bemüht, sich selbst durch den Transfer von Technologien zu amerikanisieren, um dadurch auf dem Weltmarkt wettbewerbsfähig bleiben zu können. Die an italienische Verhältnisse angepasste Massenproduktion, zusammen mit italienischem Stil und Design, galt als Pfad in Richtung eines internationalen Neubeginns. Die darauf folgende Entwicklung der eigenen technologischen Mittel durch Fiat und eine konsequente Innovationsstrategie bedeueteten, dass der Konzern die Herausforderungen seiner Unternehmensgeschichte bestehen konnte. Als Fiat 2009 eine Allianz mit Chrysler unterzeichnete, halfen seine Innovationen auf dem Gebiet des ökologischen Benzinverbrauchs und ihre traditionell groβe Betonung von Design und Stil, dem amerikanischen Partner und Fiat auf dem Weltmarkt überleben zu können.

Type
Articles
Information
Contemporary European History , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , February 2012 , pp. 41 - 59
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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