Before there was a Ford Model T or a General Motors or anyone drove down the streets of New York, Italy’s Fiat car company (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) had developed and put on sale a mass-market model. Fiats were quality cars — an early model came in a close second at the first ever Grand Prix race in Le Mans, France, a grueling two-day-long affair. Their reputation kept them among the most popular cars in Italy for over a century.

On this day, July 9, in 2006, to mark the 50th anniversary (which would come the following year) of the Fiat 500-cc “Nuova Cinquecento” model, a club of Fiat enthusiasts organized the largest parade of Fiat cars, between Villanova d’Albenga and Garlenda, Italy. Guinness Book of World Records staff were on hand to record and confirm the record.

The event was also an image bolster to Fiat, which suffered in popularity against imports like Volkswagon. But the following year in July 4 – the true 50th anniversary of the model – the Nuova Cinquecento came out, to wide public acclaim. Fiat currently owns 20% of GM, with the option to up their stake to 35%.