The Fiat Punto is a supermini car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat since 1993, spanning over three generations. The third generation of the car was marketed as the Grande Punto, between 2005 and 2009, and the Punto Evo, between 2009 and 2012, when the bare Punto name was re-introduced. As of February 2012, nearly 8.5 million units had been produced.
The early history of the automobile can be divided into a number of eras, based on the prevalent means of propulsion. Later periods were defined by trends in exterior styling, size, and utility preferences.
17th and 18th centuries
Ferdinand Verbiest, a member of a Jesuit mission in China, built the first steam-powered vehicle around 1672 as a toy for the Chinese Emperor. It was of small enough scale that it could not carry a driver but it was, quite possibly the first working steam-powered vehicle ('auto-mobile')