Italian car brands are synonymous with luxury and performance, things that make them popular among car enthusiasts the world over.
Italy’s automotive industry plays a huge part in the country’s economy, producing about roughly a million quality cars per year.
When “Italian cars” is mentioned, surely the first thing that comes to mind is Ferrari; Lamborghini follows closely. Suffice it to say, when you’re buying an Italian car, you are assured of your car’s performance, quality, and style.
But did you know that Lamborghini was created after its founder experienced mechanical difficulties with his Ferrari?
How about Ferrari’s founder running the Alfa Romeo racing team for ten years?
Read on to find these out and more with the following list of the best Italian car brands we’d all love to own.
8 Best Italian Car Brands
Here are the top 8 best car brands that are Made in Italy.
1. Ferrari
One of the world’s most famous Italian luxury brands, not just auto brands, Ferrari is automotive royalty whose heritage is unparalleled.
The name “Ferrari” is synonymous with wealth, high performance, and style.
With the average price tags starting from $200,000 to a whooping $500,000, certainly only a privileged few can afford these cars.
The most expensive vehicle ever sold is – you guessed it right! – a Ferrari. In 2018, a silver blue 1963 250 GTO was sold at a staggering $70.2 million. Some of the priciest Ferraris cost so high because they are rare, making it to nearly every list of the world’s rarest cars.
Founded in 1939 in Modena, Italy, the company built its first car in 1940. Ferrari traces its roots back to 1929, when founder Enzo Ferrari formed the Scuderia Ferrari racing team, using its famous logo called the Cavallino Rampante or the “prancing horse.”
Ferrari makes the best racing cars, which is proven by their peerless championship history. Suffice it to say, Ferrari has such unique status among collectors that its rivals can’t claim.
2. Lamborghini
Similar to Ferrari, Lamborghini is another Italian luxury sports car brand that manufactures some of the world’s most luxurious cars.
Depending on the model, a Lamborghini car can cost anywhere between a little less than $200,000 and over $500,000. The most expensive is the Veneno Roadster, with an estimated value of about a whopping $8.3 million.
Founder Ferruccio Lamborghini established the company in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, in 1963, after experiencing mechanical difficulties with his Ferrari. Lamborghini even hired an engineer who used to work for Ferrari.
The Lamborghini logo features a bull, after the founder’s zodiac sign – Taurus. Numerous Lamborghini models also had names related to bulls or bullfighting, such as the Miura which was named after the most famous breeder of Spanish fighting bulls in history – Don Eduardo Miura.
3. Alfa Romeo
Established in 1910 in Milan, Italy, Alfa Romeo’s name is a combination of its original name, “A.L.F.A.,” which stands for “Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili,” and Nicola Romeo, an engineer and entrepreneur from Naples who took control of the company in 1915.
“Anonima” means “anonymous,” which, at the time, was a legal form of companies founded by anonymous investors.
The company logo is made up of a red-cross-and-white-field motif on the left side and a man-eating snake on the right. The former is taken from the Milanese coat of arms, while the latter comes from the family crest of the city’s former rulers – the Visconti family.
The first Alfa car – before it was Alfa Romeo – was one on wooden-spoke wheels with only two rear drum brakes. It was well-engineered and fast, delivering a frightening top speed of 62 mph.
Ferrari’s founder, Enzo Ferrari, had run the Alfa Romeo racing team for a decade, with his world-famous prancing-horse logo appearing on Alfa Romeo cars.
4. Fiat
Offering luxury and performance at a more competitive price than its fellow Italian rivals, Fiat is certainly hard not to like. It’s not surprising that Fiat Automobiles is the largest car manufacturer in Italy and one of the most popular Italian car brands.
Founded in 1899 in Turin, Italy, “F.I.A.T” stands for “Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino.” Its first plant opened the following year, manufacturing 24 automobiles.
During its more than a century in the car industry, Fiat was Europe’s largest car manufacturer and the world’s no. 3 – after two of the best American car brands, General Motors and Ford – for more than 20 years.
With cars known for their striking style and unique personality, Fiat also builds quality and pays attention to details.
It’s not considered a high-end automaker; as a matter of fact, most of its models are relatively affordable. The most expensive Fiat was a 1953 8V Cabriolet which was sold for $1.18 million in an auction in 2015.
5. Maserati
One of those Italian luxury car brands with a rich heritage, Maserati manufactures ultra-premium luxury cars with price tags ranging from about $80,000 to over $150,000.
Maserati cars are known for being fast, hence, their logo that is shaped like Neptune’s trident, which stands for strength and vigor.
Said logo is based on the Fountain of Neptune found in Piazza Maggiore in Maserati’s city of birth – Bologna. As the company symbol, this emblem represents speed, luxury, and elegance.
Maserati cars and SUVs are some of the most impressive vehicles one can own. Since 2002, every Maserati car is powered by a Ferrari-built engine. As for customization, Maserati is second only to Britain’s Rolls-Royce.
Founded by Alfieri Maserati in Bologna, Italy, in 1914, Maserati is now headquartered in Modena.
6. Abarth
Through the funding of Armando Scagliarini, Abarth was established by Austrian-born Italian automobile designer and former motorcycle racer Carlo Abarth in 1949.
Abarth’s birthplace is Bologna, Italy, but the company, which started out as a manufacturer of exhaust pipes and later tuning kits for Fiat, is now based in Turin. Today, Abarth is one of the best car brands from Italy.
The Abarth logo is a shield with a scorpion on a yellow and red motif. It was based on Scorpio, Carlo Abarth’s zodiac sign.
Abarth cars are known for excellent build quality and for possessing quaint charm of their own.
The name has also become synonymous with strong and fast. This is why Italians ask for an “Abarth coffee” if they want a strong coffee or coffee with a shot of alcohol.
7. Pagani
Pagani, an Italian maker of sports cars and carbon fibers, was founded in 1992 by the Italian-Argentine businessman and engineer Horacio Pagani who used to work for Lamborghini. The company is headquartered in San Cesario sul Panaro, near Modena, Italy.
Pagani makes cars with hefty tag prices ranging from $2 million to over $5 million. These cars are some of the most exclusive and most gorgeous, as well as the best driving supercars there are.
The Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta is officially the world’s most expensive brand-new car at an insane price of $23.65 million.
8. Lancia
This Italian car manufacturer traces its history back to 1906, when racing drivers Vincenzo Lancia and Claudio Fogolin founded Lancia & C. in Turin, Italy.
Lancia is no doubt the king of the World Rally Championship, having the most wins in the series. The Fulvia model, which Lancia produced from 1963 to 1976, might not be as striking and powerful as the other Lancias, but they are famous in motorsport history.
The company sales outside of Italy ended in 2017. Now Lancia’s only product is the Ypsilon model, but it continues to be popular among Italians.
Did you enjoy reading about the best Italian car brands? Then you’ll also be delighted to read about the best car museums you can visit in Italy!