magnificent, and talented". His corporate model was based on policy salary and particular attention to the needs of workers according to a model of corporate liberality, which was defined by critics as Vallettian paternalism and contrasted to the participatory and enlightened model of Adriano Olivetti in Ivrea. Later life and death Even though he was on the side of the Western Bloc during the Cold War and confinement departments, in which the most combative left-wing workers were marginalized, were established, Valletta was suspected by American government representatives, such as the anti-communist abassador Clare Boothe Luce and the embassy's first secretary Clarence Durbrow, of siding with the Italian Communist Party leader Palmiro Togliatti. The anti-communist Luce repeatedly pressured Valletta, if he wanted to get work orders for his aircraft and vehicle departments, to expell all communists from Fiat, to which Valletta dismissed both the influence of the CGIL in Fiat and the danger of communism in Italy as overblown. In the 1950s, Valletta was the sponsor of the Autostrada A1, nicknamed Autostrada del Sole ("Sun Motorway"). In an interview to Il Messaggero, he gave his support for what became known as the Organic centre-left. He continued as chairman of Fiat until, at the age of 83, he retired in April 1966 to be succeeded in that post by the founder's grandson, Gianni Agnelli. Valletta was appointed senator for life in December 1966. Then Italian president Saragat's citation described Valletta as "the first Fiat worker, and one of the great men who most contributed to the Italian economic miracle and to the welfare of the country". Valletta died of cerebral hemorrhage at his villa in Le Focette near Pietrasanta in 1967. Along with Enrico Mattei, he is regarded among the best Italian managers of the 20th century. In July 2017, to commemorate the 60th year since his death, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development issued a postage stamp in honour of Valletta. References Bibliography Further reading External links Valletta, Vittorio Giuseppe at SIUSA Unified Information System for Archival Superintendencies Vittorio Giuseppe Valletta at SAN – Portal of the Company Archives 1883 births 1967 deaths Businesspeople from Genoa Fiat people Italian industrialists Italian life senators People from Sampierdarena