Abarth

Year of foundation 1949

The history of Abarth is one of passion, ingenuity, and, above all, speed. Founded in Bologna on March 31, 1949, by Italian-Austrian engineer Carlo Abarth and racing driver Guido Scagliarini, the company was born with the goal of "transforming ordinary cars into racing cars."

Origins and Early Successes
1949-1950: The newly founded Abarth & C. inherits the assets of the bankrupt Cisitalia, including several prototypes. The first car, the 204 A Roadster, based on the Fiat 1100, immediately triumphs in the Italian 1100 Sport Championship and in Formula 2, marking the beginning of a legend. The logo, the Scorpion, is Carlo Abarth's star sign.

1950s: In parallel with racing, Abarth begins producing tuning kits for production cars, particularly for Fiat models. The famous Abarth mufflers, with their unmistakable sound, become a worldwide commercial success.

The myth of "derivations"
1960s: Abarth reached the height of its fame by adapting the small Fiat 500, creating iconic models such as the Abarth 595 and Abarth 695. These cars, despite their small size, were agile, powerful, and high-performance, achieving enormous popularity and success on the track. The company specialized in transforming small cars into true sports cars, embodying the concept of "small and mean."

Records and innovation: Carlo Abarth was an engineering genius and a tireless record-breaker. During his career, Abarth set 133 international records, demonstrating the technical superiority of his creations. A memorable record was achieved with the "Fiat Abarth 750 Record" at Monza, where the car covered a distance of 50,000 km at an average speed of 140 km/h.

Joining the Fiat Group
1971: Abarth's success and importance did not go unnoticed. Fiat acquired the company, and the Abarth brand became the group's official racing arm, focusing on the development of rally models such as the Fiat Abarth 131 Rally, which won numerous world championships.

The Relaunch of the Scorpion
2000s: After a less prolific period, the Abarth brand was relaunched in 2007. The goal was to return to its origins, producing sporty and tuned versions of Fiat models, maintaining Carlo Abarth's philosophy.

Today: The Abarth brand lives on within the Stellantis group, with models such as the modern Abarth 595 and the 124 Spider, which continue the legacy of performance and distinctive style.