Stellantis Poland

Stellantis Poland SA (until April 1, 2015 Fiat Auto Poland SA) is an automobile factory belonging to Stellantis formed on 28 May 1992 after Fiat acquired Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych (FSM) in Bielsko-Biała and Tychy. At that time, Fiat Auto took over 90% of the company's shares. The takeover of FSM by Fiat is considered hostile and controversial.[1][2][3]

Stellantis Poland
IndustryAutomotive
PredecessorFabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych
Founded28 May 1992 (1992-05-28)
HeadquartersBielsko-Biala, Poland
ParentStellantis
Websitewww.media.stellantis.com/pl-pl

History

After the company was established, some of the subsidiary plants of the former FSM were taken over by enterprises belonging to the Fiat Auto group, creating their Polish branches, such as Teksid Poland, Magneti Marelli Poland.

Initially, the company produced two models, the 126 and the licensed ZX1-79, or Cinquecento. In the following years: UNO, Siena, Palio, Palio Weekend, and in Tychy Cinquecento with a 700 cm³ engine produced in Bielsko-Biała, which won second place in the 1993 European Car of the Year competition. A model with a 900 cm³ engine supplied with Italian. In 1994 Fiat 126 was modified. Some UNO components also used in Cinquecento were used in the model, which was jokingly called production unification among the crew. For example, the doors were unified using the same side mirrors. In December 1996, the Fiat 126 ELX appeared with the module used in Cinquecento, it signalled the toxicity of exhaust gases after exceeding a certain speed by means of the colour of LEDs. However, there was no expensive Lambda probe in the exhaust system, used only temporarily to actuate and program the module. Apart from modernising the existing products, new ones were introduced. In 1994, in Bielsko-Biała, the CKD assembly of the Uno model began, which was soon replaced by a full technological cycle with engines 1.4 dm³, 1.1 dm³ and 1.0 dm³. Innocenti cars with only 1.0 dm³ engine were also installed. This model was supplied to the Innocenti network as Innocenti Mille (1000) to assist with pre-payment order fulfilment in the Brazilian market. Innocenti was a licensed UNO model purchased by Brazil. In 1995, the assembly of the Fiat Punto and Ducato SKDs in Tychy began, which lasted until the beginning of 2000 (from November 1999 it was the Punto II). In June 1997, serial production of the Siena model from Brazil started at the Body Works in Bielsko-Biała, and a few months later Fiat Palio and Palio Weekend (spring 1998). In 1998, the assembly of SKD models of Bravo, Brava, Marea, Marea Weekend and Ducato began in Tychy. It lasted in the beginning of 2000. In this place, the factory in Tychy later produced the assembly lines for Models Palio, UNO and Palio Weekend transferred from Bielsko-Biała. In spring 1998 the Cinquecento was replaced by the Seicento model. Until then, 1,164,478, the so-called "CC", of which 863,254 were exported. On September 22, 2000, the production of the Fiat 126 was completed in Bielsko-Biała, the last one was over 1000 units with the sticker "Maluch Happy End". In the period from May to October 2000, the production of the Uno, Siena and Palio Weekend models was moved to Tychy. Thus, the plants in Bielsko-Biała have ceased production of cars, focusing on the production of components (engines, gearboxes). Production of Siena was discontinued in fall 2001, Uno in October 2002, and Palio Weekend in May 2004.

The cessation of car production in Bielsko-Biała resulted in the development of the production of car components, engines and gearboxes there. Over time, the Fiat-GM Powertrain company was established to manufacture a modern 1.3 dm³ "MultiJet" diesel engine. Annually, about 700,000 jobs are created. pieces intended for over a dozen passenger cars and vans from Fiat, GM and Suzuki groups.

In April 2003, the factory celebrated the production of the millionth Seicento, and the entire company - the sale of the three millionth car. Production of the Panda model started in May 2003 and went on sale in September of the same year. It won the prestigious title of 2004 European Car of The Year. In June 2005, Seicento was renamed the Fiat 600. In May 2007, the production of Fiat 500 was started, which was awarded the title of 2008 European Car of The Year. The launch of its production resulted in the modernization and automation of the factory, including 384 robots in the welding shop, operated by 500 employees. On 6 September 2007, the millionth Fiat Panda was celebrated in Tychy. In the fall of 2008, production of a new version of the Ford Ka began in a joint venture. It was to be created in the number of up to 120 thousand. units per year, in the course of a few months of 2008 about 19 thousand. pieces. There were also new versions of the models produced so far. The Fiat 500 Abarth made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2008. It has been produced since 2008 in Tychy. In 2008, 5,905 units of this version were made, and in 2009, about 8,000. pieces.

The initial production capacity of the Fiat 500 was 500 units per day, which translates to around 120,000 tonnes. pieces per year. In 2007, 65,116 units were produced. However, the enormous market interest resulted in a gradual increase in this capacity. The modernisation of the plant was progressing. Since March 2008, production has increased to 750 units per day, which translates to around 180,000. pieces per year. Thanks to working on additional days (Saturdays off, shortened holiday break), 195,637 Fiat 500s were produced in 2008.

In 2007, the Fiat Auto Poland plant in Tychy joined the prestigious group of "World Class Manufacturing" companies, ie those that have and use the best and most effective methods of managing the production system on a global scale. This is the result of a long process of refinement since the plant was incorporated into the Fiat Auto structure. The plant in Tychy was, among others the first of the Fiat Auto Group to implement ISO 9001 (quality management standards) and ISO 14001 (environmental management standards) since the mid-1990s. The solutions adopted in the plant in Tychy later became a model for solutions implemented in other factories of the group. A production system was also implemented in it, which contributes to the fact that cars leaving the production line have a low rate of detected production defects[4] and defects occurring in subsequent years of operation. At the same time, there are critical voices saying that the increase in quality and efficiency comes at the expense of the work atmosphere and the situation of employees.[5]

Cars produced by Fiat Auto Poland are exported to 68 countries, including to Japan (4,174 cars were shipped there in 2008), and these exports account for approximately 3% of the value of all transactions of this type nationwide.

In the mid 2000–2009 decade, Fiat Auto Poland produced about 300-350 thousand. cars per year. In 2008, a record number of 492,885 cars were produced, including 19,046 second-generation Ford Ka,[6] the production of which was officially launched on September 25, 2008 in Tychy. In 2009, the plant produced a total of about 606 thousand. car pieces. The Fiat 500C convertible made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2009. In mid-2010, the production of the Fiat 600 model ceased.

The production of the next generation of Fiat Panda was moved from Tychy to the factory in Pomigliano d'Arco near Naples, in exchange for the Lancia Ypsilon model, which had been produced so far in Termini Imerese in Sicily.[7] In mid-2011, the production of Lancia Ypsilon II began in the Tychy plant. In December 2012, the plant announced the need to lay off approximately 1,500 employees, cut production and end production of the Panda. The company's total revenues in 2012 exceeded PLN 14,150 million, sales revenues amounted to over PLN 14,100 million.

The plant in Tychy in 2009 was the largest Fiat factory in Europe[8] and the second largest in the world, after the Brazilian factory in Betim.

FCA Poland cooperates in the field of projects and research with the former Centre for Research and Development of Small-Size Cars - Bosmal.

References
  1. Marcin Dobski. "„Przekręt wart 3 miliardy dolarów", czyli jak sprzedawano FSM Fiatowi" (in Polish). Rzeczpospolita.pl. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  2. "Przekręt stulecia. Jak oddano polską fabrykę samochodów za złotówkę!" (in Polish). polmedia.pl. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  3. "FIAT i przekręty prywatyzacyjne FSM" (in Polish). mpolska24.pl. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  4. In the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, this indicator was about 6 defects per 100 cars. For example, the average index in the plants of the concern Toyota, famous for its quality, was then around 5 detected defects per 100 cars. Detected defects are removed before the cars are put on sale.
  5. "Tyskie karaoke i japoński Jaś Maszyna". Rzeczpospolita. 2011-03-25.
  6. "Kolejny rekordowy 2008 rok dla Fiat Auto Poland". Fiat Auto Poland. 8 January 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  7. IAR (14 November 2009). "Fiat zabiera z Polski Pandę, ale przenosi do nas Lancię Y". Bankier.pl. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  8. "Fabryka w Tychach wyprodukowała najwięcej fiatów w Europie". Forsal.pl. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
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