{"id":47804,"date":"2026-07-08T04:38:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T04:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/47804\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T04:38:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T04:38:19","slug":"stellantis-is-using-a-15-year-old-fiat-to-stop-italy-from-handing-autobianchi-to-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/47804\/","title":{"rendered":"Stellantis Is Using A 15-Year-Old Fiat To Stop Italy From Handing Autobianchi To China"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"lead\">\n                            A camouflaged Fiat Pandina spied testing is a special edition built to keep the historic Autobianchi name out of government hands                        <\/p>\n<p>                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"ingallery no-lazy img-center\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Fiat-Pandina-Tributo-Autobianchi-Scoop-3ss-1024x576.jpg\"   alt=\" Stellantis Is Using A 15-Year-Old Fiat To Stop Italy From Handing Autobianchi To China\" width=\"1905\" height=\"1072\"\/>                        <\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=carscoops.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><br \/>\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark_en.png\" width=\"338\" height=\"107\" alt=\"Add Carscoops as preferred source on Google\"\/><br \/>\n                            <\/a><\/p>\n<p>Fiat is prepping a retro-styled Pandina Tributo Autobianchi. <\/p>\n<p>The special edition aims to protect a historic Italian name.<\/p>\n<p>New spy shots catch a camouflaged prototype testing.<\/p>\n<p>The Pandina is the oldest model in Fiat\u2019s current lineup, tracing its roots back to 2011. Even so, a fresh camouflaged prototype of the urban runabout has turned up testing in Italy. You might assume this points to one more facelift before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2026\/05\/fiat-2030-product-roadmap\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">fully electric successor lands later this decade<\/a>, but Stellantis has a stranger motive. It is using the aging Fiat to hang onto the trademark of an Italian automaker that has been dead for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n<p>The latest sources say the camouflage hides the upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2026\/06\/stellantis-pandina-autobianchi\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fiat Pandina Tributo Autobianchi special edition<\/a>. It looks to be built on the Cross trim of the Pandina, marked out by the chunkier bumpers, the relocated fog lights, and the added plastic cladding along the flanks.<\/p>\n<p>More: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2026\/06\/fiat-multiplina-concept-and-topolinos\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fiat Revives The Multiplina And Rolls Out New Topolino Editions<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Earlier sightings of the prototype revealed a prominent Autobianchi emblem on the side moldings. We also expect mild visual tweaks nodding to classic models like the Autobianchi A112 and Y10, though these will likely stay limited to trim pieces rather than redesigned components. The camouflage on the wheels hints at a unique design, potentially paired with a vintage beige-brown hue for the bodywork.<\/p>\n<p>Nostalgia On Top, Same Three-Cylinder Below<\/p>\n<p>                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazy \" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/arrow.png\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\"\/><br \/>\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazy \" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/arrow.png\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Walter Vayr \/ SH Proshots<\/p>\n<p>The interior is expected to get a matching retro treatment with special seat materials and nostalgic badging. Beneath the skin, the Tributo Autobianchi will most likely retain the carry-over mild-hybrid 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine producing 69 hp (52 kW \/ 70 PS), sending power to the front axle through a six-speed manual.<\/p>\n<p>More: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2026\/04\/lancia-ypsilon-manual-turbo\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lancia\u2019s Cheapest New Car Ditches The Coffee Table And Gains A Stick Shift<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For anyone unfamiliar with Autobianchi\u2019s history, the brand was founded in 1955 as a joint venture between Fiat, Pirelli, and Bianchi. It built its name on small hatchbacks like the A112, which rode on Fiat 128 underpinnings and sold more than 1.2 million units between 1969 and 1986. The historic marque was phased out in 1995, with the Autobianchi Y10 giving way to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/tag\/lancia-ypsilon\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lancia Ypsilon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Real Mission Of The Tributo Autobianchi<\/p>\n<p>                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazy \" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/arrow.png\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\"\/><br \/>\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazy \" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/arrow.png\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Walter Vayr \/ SH Proshots<\/p>\n<p>Besides being a send-off with a nostalgic twist, the upcoming model doubles as a legal chess move by Stellantis against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/tag\/Italy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Italian<\/a> government. This unusual corporate standoff traces back to December 2023, when the Italian parliament passed a new law permitting the state to take control of classic trademarks that have sat entirely dormant for at least five consecutive years.<\/p>\n<p>More:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2026\/06\/fiat-grizzly-reveal\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fiat\u2019s New Grizzly SUV Is Hunting The Dacia Bigster, And It Didn\u2019t Come Alone<\/a><\/p>\n<p>By July 2024, the government had escalated the dispute with Stellantis over sliding local production volumes. Reports surfaced that Italy\u2019s Industry Ministry had gone so far as to register independent graphical versions of both the Autobianchi and Innocenti badges at the national patents and brands office. The rumored aim was to seize the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2024\/10\/stellantis-wants-to-keep-autobianchi-and-innocenti-brands-if-laws-allow-it\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">names and reallocate them to expanding Chinese automakers <\/a>willing to build factories on Italian soil.<\/p>\n<p>Resetting The Clock, One Special Edition At A Time<\/p>\n<p>        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Fiat-Pandina-Tributo-Autobianchi-Scoop-6s.jpg\" data-type=\"inarticle-image-block\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> &#13;<br \/>\n            &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy \"   alt=\" Stellantis Is Using A 15-Year-Old Fiat To Stop Italy From Handing Autobianchi To China\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1406\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Fiat-Pandina-Tributo-Autobianchi-Scoop-6s-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n                Walter Vayr \/ SH Proshots&#13;<br \/>\n            &#13;<br \/>\n        <\/a>  <\/p>\n<p>Faced with the immediate threat of losing its intellectual property, Stellantis is using the closing months of this legal window to kick off a retro rollout. By releasing a Tributo Autobianchi version of the evergreen Fiat Pandina, the company effectively resets the rolling statutory clock, keeping a vital piece of its industrial heritage under its exclusive control.<\/p>\n<p>Judging from the recent prototype sightings, we expect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/tag\/stellantis\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stellantis<\/a> to unveil the Fiat Pandina Tributo Autobianchi sometime in the coming months.<\/p>\n<p>        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Autobianchi-712-3.jpg\" data-type=\"inarticle-image-block\"> &#13;<br \/>\n            &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy \"   alt=\" Stellantis Is Using A 15-Year-Old Fiat To Stop Italy From Handing Autobianchi To China\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Autobianchi-712-3.jpg\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n                Autobianchi A112&#13;<br \/>\n            &#13;<br \/>\n        <\/a>  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A camouflaged Fiat Pandina spied testing is a special edition built to keep the historic Autobianchi name out&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":47805,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13129],"tags":[29956,13574,29957,29958,14867,67,21497,12112],"class_list":["post-47804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-stellantis","tag-autobianchi","tag-fiat","tag-fiat-panda","tag-fiat-scoops","tag-hybrids","tag-italy","tag-scoops","tag-stellantis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47804"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47804\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}