Fiat has been a major car maker and industrial player for more than a century now, but one of the lesser-known sides to the Fiat story is that the company has its very own museum.

On one level, the Centro Storico Fiat, located discreetly at Via Chiabrera 20, Turin, is a modern, stylish exhibition of some of Fiat's past masters.

Fiat has a collection of some 300 historic cars and around 30-40 are out on show at any time. Some are familiar, such as the ultra-cute 500s and 600s and the heroic aero-engined 22-litre Mefistofele record breaker that has run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

But many are not and that's part of the appeal. Cars, aircraft and other symbols of Fiat's manufacturing might are artfully out on display, along with nice period adverts and models, while upstairs there's yet another treasure trove.

Fiat's official archives are stored here. Along with many important documents and drawings, there are rows upon rows of catalogues, handbooks, press kits and magazines covering not just Fiat but Lancia, Abarth and Alfa Romeo too. The archive has more than six million images and over 200 hours of historical films.

Up until recently, the Centro Storico Fiat was firmly closed to outsiders. But it's now open one day a week (Sunday) for no charge and fully active on Facebook, Twitter and social media.

In Italy, Fiat has courted controversy with its (mis)handling of the Lancia and Alfa Romeo museums. But the Centro Storico Fiat is a delight and well worth a visit.

Here are some of the highlights.

Fiat 600 and 500 Topolino

The Fiat 600 and the classic 500 Topolino (little mouse) epitomized small car motoring in Italy for decades, putting millions of Italians on the road. The 600, launched in 1955, was Fiat's first rear-engined car. The Topolino, cute, low cost and economical, with fun, timeless style, first appeared in 1936.

Centro Storico Fiat's art deco roof

The art deco roof of Centro Storico Fiat in Turin. The building, dating from 1907, was the first expansion of the workshops on Corse Dante, Fiat's first home. The Centro Storico Fiat itself was inaugurated in 1963, as the company's official archive, but it wasn't until the mid-1980s that the archive began in earnest.

1950 Fiat 1400 Cabriolet

Then and now: rare 1950 Fiat 1400 Cabriolet twinned with a piece of Fiat's modern mass production technology. The 1400 was the first truly new postwar Fiat, with monocoque body and high spec for its day. Fiat's industrial might (Turin is effectively Italy's 'Motor City') is much in evidence.