The meeting came on the thirtieth anniversary of the death of senior Fiat executive Carlo Ghiglieno (above) and served as an occasion to also observe the memories of Carlo Ala and Piero Coggiola, the other two company representatives who lost their lives.

The 1970s was a very difficult period for the Fiat Group, as the company was blighted by escalating disputes with an increasingly militant workforce while attacks were made on company management by terrorist groups such as the Red Brigades, with two dozen killed or injured in attacks, ambushes or car bombs, during the period.

The most high profile victim was Carlo Ghiglieno. Born in 1928, Ghiglieno graduated from Turin Polytechnic in 1950 and undertook a variety of management positions with Olivetti before joining Fiat in 1974 where, at the time of his death, he had assumed overall responsibility for strategic industrial planning. Known for eschewing the offer of protection he was shot and killed on a Turin street on September 21, 1979, while driving his green Fiat 132.

Associazione Italiana Vittime del Terrorismo was founded in 1985 to cater for the promotion, participation and information of celebratory initiatives and the memory of the individual victims of terrorism in collaboration with public institutions and relatives. Providing legal assistance, undertaking historical research and educating students and yoing people are amongst its range of activities. A statement issued by Fiat this week said: "Mr. Montezemolo paid tribute to those individuals and expressed Fiat’s solidarity with all those who have fallen victim to terrorism in the course of their service with the Group."