ABARTH Bologna, Turin Italy Special Cars 1949 – Ongoing

Abarth

Abarth & C. Spa

Type	Società per Azioni
Industry	Automotive
Founded	Bologna, Italy (March 31, 1949)
Founder	Carlo Abarth
Headquarters	Turin, Italy
Key people	John Elkann, President Harald J. Wester, CEO
Parent	Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, NV
Website	www.abarth.it

 

Abarth 595, derived from Fiat 500

Abarth is a racing car and road car maker founded by Carlo Abarth of Turin in 1949. Its logo is a shield with a stylized scorpion on a red and yellow background.

History

Carlo Abarth founded the Abarth & C. company with Armando Scagliarini (father of Cisitalia racing driver Guido Scagliarini) in Bologna on 31 March 1949, using his astrological sign, Scorpio, as the company logo. The company made high-performance exhaust pipes and raced Cisitalia cars. On April 10, 1950 Tazio Nuvolari made his last appearance in racing with an Abarth’s Cisitalia.

On April 9, 1951 the company’s headquarters were moved to Turin; Abarth began his well-known association with Fiat in 1952, when it built the Abarth 1500 Biposto on Fiat mechanicals.

In the 1960s, Abarth was successful in hillclimbing and sports car racing, mainly in classes from 850cc to 2000cc, competing with Porsche 904 and Ferrari Dino. Hans Herrmann was a factory driver from 1962 until 1965, winning the 500 km Nürburgring in 1963 with Teddy Pilette.

Abarth promised Johann Abt that he could race a factory car for free if he won all the races he entered. Abt almost succeeded: Of the 30 races he entered, Abt won 29 and finished second once. Abt later founded Abt Sportsline.

Abarth produced high-performance exhaust pipes, diversifying into tuning kits for road vehicles, mainly for Fiat. A racing exhaust was produced for the 1950s Lambretta models “D” and “LD”. Original Abarth LD exhausts are now valuable collectors items. Reproductions are available which carry the Abarth name, how Fiat feels about this is not known. Lambretta even held several 125cc Motorcycle land speed records during the 1950s thanks partly to the exhaust that Abarth developed for them.

Abarth also helped build sports or racing cars with Porsche and Simca.

Fiat bought Abarth on July 31, 1971; Enzo Osella bought the racing team. Under Fiat ownership, Abarth became the Fiat Group’s racing department, managed by engine designer Aurelio Lampredi.

Abarth prepared Fiat’s rally cars, including the Fiat 124 Abarth Rally and 131 Abarth, then was merged with the Squadra Corse Lancia developing the Lancia 037 rally car.

On 1 October 1981, Abarth & C. ceased to exist and was replaced by Fiat Auto Gestione Sportiva, a division of the parent company specialized in the management of racing programmes that would remain in operation through to the end of 1999, when it changed to Fiat Auto Corse S.p.A.

Some commercial models built by Fiat or its subsidiaries Lancia and Autobianchi were co-branded Abarth, including the Autobianchi A112 Abarth, a popular “boy racer” because it was light weight and inexpensive.

In the 1980s Abarth name was mainly used to mark performance cars, such as the Fiat Ritmo Abarth 125/130 TC.

In 2000s, Fiat used the Abarth brand to designate a trim/model level, as in the Fiat Stilo Abarth.

In 2007, Fiat Automobiles SpA relaunched the brand with the Grande Punto Abarth and the Grande Punto Abarth S2000. The brand is separate from the main Fiat brand. It is based in the Officine 83, part of the old Mirafiori engineering plant. The CEO is Harald Wester.

Abarth cars

Current models

Abarth Punto Evo, Supermini, 3-door hatchback

Abarth 500, City car, 3-door hatchback

Abarth 500C, City car,  Cabriolet

Fiat Abarth 750

Abarth 209A Boano Coupe

Abarth race cars

Fiat Abarth 1000

1961 Abarth Monomille, rebodied Fiat 600 chassis

Cars produced by Abarth

Fiat 131 Abarth driven by Markku Alén at the 1978 1000 Lakes Rally

• Fiat-Abarth 500
• Fiat-Abarth 750
• Fiat-Abarth 1000 TC (Fiat 600 based)
• Fiat-Abarth 850 TC
• Abarth 1100 Scorpione Spider (Boano)
• Abarth 1500 Biposto
• Abarth Simca 2000 – coupé
• Abarth 204A Berlinetta
• Abarth 205A Berlinetta
• Alfa Romeo Abarth 2000 Coupe
• Abarth 207A Spyder
• Abarth 209A Boano Coupe
• Porsche 356B Carrera GTL Abarth
• Abarth Simca 1300 GT
• Fiat-Abarth OT1000
• Fiat-Abarth OT1600
• Fiat-Abarth OT 2000 Competition Coupé
• Fiat-Abarth Zagato 750
• Fiat-Abarth 2200
• Fiat-Abarth Allemano 750 Spider
• Fiat-Abarth 2400
• Fiat Abarth 1000 TCR Berlina
• Autobianchi A112 Abarth
• Fiat-Abarth 595 SS
• Fiat-Abarth 695 SS
• Abarth OT 1300
• Abarth Monomille
• Abarth Grand Prix/Scorpione
• Abarth 3000 Prototipo
• Fiat Ritmo 125/130 TC Abarth
• Fiat 124 Abarth Rally
• Fiat 131 Abarth Rally
• Lancia 037
• Lancia Abarth Kappa Coupe Turbo

Cars not produced by Abarth but with Abarth badges

• Fiat Uno Turbo Mk2 (Abarth)
• Fiat Bravo GT/HGT (Abarth)
• Fiat Bravo Type 198 (Abarth)
• Fiat Stilo (Abarth)
• Fiat Punto (Abarth)
• Fiat Cinquecento Sporting (Abarth)
• Fiat Seicento Sporting (Abarth)

Cars produced under Abarth & C. S.p.A. (2007–)

• Abarth 500
• Abarth 500 SS
• Assetto Corsa Rally
• 695 Tributo Ferrari
• Abarth Grande Punto (2007)
• Abarth Grande Punto SS (2007)
• Abarth Punto Evo
• Abarth Punto Supersport (2012–2013)
• Abarth 500C

Cars produced by other manufacturers with involvement from Abarth

• Lancia Delta S4 for Group B – Helped to engineer the engine which utilised a supercharger and turbocharger.

Cars produced under Fiat Corse – N Technology named Abarth

• Fiat Punto Abarth (rally version only)
• Fiat Cinquecento 900 Trofeo kitcar (teams had to build up their own rallycar from Fiat N Technology derived Abarth racingparts)
• Fiat Cinquecento Sporting 1.1 Rally car
• Fiat Seicento Sporting 1.1 Rally car