This achievement was made possible by the work of the three Fiat plants where the Punto is built: the SATA facility at Melfi near Potenza, Turin's Mirafiori complex, and the Termini Imerese factory in the province of Palermo.

The event was celebrated yesterday at Melfi, one of Europe's most modern factories, which not only produced the six millionth Fiat Punto, but also made a decisive contribution to the accomplishment by turning out half of the total number of cars. The Fiat Punto is still the most popular car in Italy, and has topped the sales charts for over 10 years.

The first Punto rolled off the assembly line at Mirafiori in July 1993. Production got underway at Melfi in September of the same year, and Termini Imerese in December. In 1999, all three plants began to build the new version of the Punto.

The Melfi plant currently produces both the Fiat Punto and the Lancia Ypsilon, and employs around 5000 people. In addition, the SATA facility has been tipped to become the only site that will construct the imminent successor to the Punto. The current car will continue to be produced at Mirafiori until the end of 2006.

The Fiat Punto was designed to satisfy every need. In addition to a wide range encompassing three and five door versions, eight engine options, numerous transmission options, eight trim levels and 13 different body colours, the Punto is also available in a van version with three different powerplants (1.2-litre 8-valve, 1.3-litre MultiJet and 1.9-litre JTD) and three- or five-door body styles. The new owner of the six millionth Punto is Francesco D'Ariano, resident in Canosa di Puglia, near Bari, and an employee at the Melfi plant.