Editing Autobianchi (section)

===Origins===
[[Bianchi (company)|Bianchi]], founded in 1885 by [[Edoardo Bianchi]] and now remembered primarily as a bicycle manufacturer, was also active in [[automobile|passenger car]] manufacturing from 1899. Bianchis were in general high-end luxury cars, made with high attention to detail. The company's factory in [[Abruzzi]] was destroyed by bombing during [[World War II]]. Edoardo Bianchi himself died in 1946 in a [[car accident]], and the ownership of the firm passed to his son, Giuseppe. Even though a new, modern facility was constructed in [[Desio]] after the war, economic conditions forced Giuseppe not to resume passenger car production, but rather to focus on [[bicycle]]s, [[motorcycle]]s and [[commercial vehicle]]s.<ref name="carsfrom Bianchi">{{cite web|url=http://www.carsfromitaly.com/others/index.html |title=Bianchi |work=The Etceterini pages @ CarsFromItaly.com |access-date=2006-08-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050209015255/http://www.carsfromitaly.com/others/index.html |archive-date=2005-02-09}} ''(accessed via the [[Internet Archive#Wayback Machine|Wayback Machine]])''</ref><ref name="Bianchina Club Storia">{{cite web|url=http://www.bianchinaclub.com/ita/servizi/edoardo_bianchi.htm |title=Storia dell'Autobianchi |work=Bianchina Club |access-date=2006-08-08|language=it}}</ref><ref name="Club Autobianchi histoire">{{cite web |url=http://www.clubautobianchi.com/marque-histo.html |title=L'histoire de la marque |work=Club Autobianchi |access-date=2006-08-08 |language=fr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010950/http://www.clubautobianchi.com/marque-histo.html |archive-date=2007-09-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Bianchi (company)|Bianchi bicycles]] are still manufactured.

Bianchi's general manager, [[Ferruccio Quintavalle]], wanted to take advantage of the company's extensive experience in manufacturing cars and ordered the preparation of studies and prototypes of possible new models. Soon it became apparent that resuming passenger car production would not be feasible without a help of stronger partner. Therefore, Bianchi turned to large industrial groups [[Fiat]] and [[Pirelli]] with a proposal to form a new company to produce automobiles. Thus, the Autobianchi company was born, with the agreement signed by the three parties on 11 January 1955, and [[share capital]] of 3 million [[lira]], 33% of which belonged to the Bianchi family. A new, modern, purpose-built plant for the production of Autobianchi cars was erected on an area of 140,000 square metres in Desio.<ref name="Bianchina Club Storia"/><ref name="Club Autobianchi histoire"/>

Each of the partners had a clearly defined role and interest in the venture. Fiat was to provide the technical base and components for the assembly of the cars. It was seeking to capture the premium niche of the small car market, at that time occupied by [[coachbuilder]]s such as Moretti and [[Vignale]], who were building their models on Fiat [[chassis]]. Pirelli, which was to supply tires for the cars, sought to expand their [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]] market share. Bianchi, was assigned the duties of preparing the bodies and assembling complete vehicles; a step towards their desired return to full passenger car production.<ref name="Bianchina Club Storia"/><ref name="Club Autobianchi histoire"/>