The first Italian car was a three wheeler made by Enrico Bernardi in 1892, but the country did not become a serious producer of cars until several years after the F.I.A.T. company was formed in 1899. It was reorganised in 1906 and the cars became Fiats. By then they were Italy's largest car builders, a position they have held ever since. Other important firms were Isotta-Fraschini and Itala; they and Fiat made large luxury cars until 1911 when they entered the medium-sized market with the Fiat Zero. A.L.F.A. was formed in 1910 out of the Italian branch of Darracq. When Nicola Romeo took over in 1918 the cars became Alfa Romeos, one of the best-known Italian makes, and builders of the country's leading racing and sports cars between the wars. In the 1920s Lancia made the new Lambda with a V4 engine, independent suspension and semi-unitary construction and went on to build many other advanced designs. Itala and Isotta-Fraschini disappeared in the 1930s, but a new star rose after the war in the form of Enzo Ferrari. He had managed the Alfa Romeo racing team in the 1930s, and made his own highly successful sports and racing cars from 1947. Fiat, whose successful 500 or Topolino small car had been made since 1936, turned to rear engines with the 600 in 1955, followed by many important designs such as the front wheel drive 128 and 127, and the more recent Uno and Tipo. A new make appeared in 1966 with the Lamborghini, particularly famous for the mid-engined Muira, Countach and Diablo supercars. Ferrari made the Testarossa, the F40 and F50. By this time Fiat owned almost the entire Italian motor industry including Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia and Maserati.
