Celebrating the Art of Italian Coachbuilding
Celebrating the Art of Italian Coachbuilding
The Fiat Croma from 1985 designed by Giugiaro.
The Fiat Croma 1985 model year designed by Italdesign Giugiaro. In December 1985, FIAT undertook a significant transformation in its high-class model lineup, bidding farewell to the underperforming Fiat Argenta after just four years of production. Its successor, the Fiat Croma, marked a departure from rear-wheel drive to embrace the trend of front-wheel drive. Part of a collaborative initiative known as “Tipo Quattro,” the Croma shared its development platform with other prestigious automobiles: the Lancia Thema, Saab 9000, and Alfa Romeo 164. Originally named “Chroma,” the car underwent a last-minute modification by FIAT President Gianni Agnelli, shedding the “h” to become the sleek and refined Croma. The collaborative effort commenced with the Lancia Thema and Saab 9000 preceding the Croma. The latter’s design process was expedited through a creative derivation from the Lancia Thema, minimizing development timelines and design expenses. The Croma’s success rested on its balanced and elegant design, coupled with a comfortable passenger compartment, versatile tailgate, and groundbreaking “VSS” concept. Over the course of its eleven-year commercial lifespan, approximately 438,000 units of the Croma were sold. From a technical standpoint, the Croma shared numerous components with its collaborative counterparts. Commonalities included the chassis, suspensions, side frame, roof, and various systems such as air conditioning and the braking circuit. Even the doors were shared with the Lancia Thema and Saab 9000. The classic two-and-a-half-volume design was the brainchild of the Fiat Style Center under the supervision of Tom Tjaarda and Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, with the manufacturing process heavily reliant on robotic technology. After two decades since its initial release, in 2005, FIAT introduced a new iteration of the Croma, breathing fresh life into a model that had already left a lasting legacy in the realm of high-class automobiles.
The Tipo Quattro (Type Four) program was launched in the late 1970s as a joint venture to develop a family of executive-class sedans efficiently. Fiat (including its Lancia and soon-to-be-acquired Alfa Romeo brands) teamed with Sweden’s Saab to share development costs on a new top-range platform.
