The firm is headquartered in Corbetta, Italy, and includes 86 manufacturing plants, 12 R&D centres, and 26 application centers in 19 countries,[3] with 43,000 employees and a turnover of 7.9 billion euro in 2016.

[3] Subsidiaries and brands of the company include AL-Automotive Lighting, Carello, Cromodora, Cofap, Ergom Automotive, Jaeger, Mako Elektrik, Paraflu, Securvia, Seima, Siem SpA, Solex, Veglia Borletti, Vitaloni, and Weber.

Founded in 1919 as Fabbrica Italiana Magneti Marelli (FIMM), a joint-venture between Fiat and Ercole Marelli (1891–1993), an Italian electrical manufacturing company, the firm initially made ignition magnetos for the automotive and aviation industries, with its first plant in Sesto San Giovanni near Milan.

On 22 October 2018, FCA announced that Magneti Marelli was being bought by KKR, to be merged with the Japanese automotive company Calsonic Kansei for $7.2 billion, a deal that would create one of the world's largest auto parts suppliers.

[needs update] Magneti Marelli worked with Ford Motor Company and Microsoft (Windows Embedded Automotive, formerly Microsoft Auto), to develop an in-dash computer (carputer) for Ford's work truck division introduced in 2008, with a built-in 6.5-inch, high-resolution touch screen and Bluetooth, USB connectivity, GPS navigation, voice recognition, and general office applications, e.g., word processing, contact, and calendar.