ABARTH HERITAGE

The new Abarth range is a tribute to the army of Fiats from days gone by that were given a tough, dynamic and sporty edge by the 'magic hands' at Abarth: scorpions with a real sting in the tail, igniting the passion of thousands of drivers with a taste for challenge, speed and Italian flair.

Today, Abarth is aiming to evoke the former glory of those high performance vehicles by offering the public, especially enthusiastic drivers, the chance to enter the world of competitive racing in complete safety and at affordable prices.

First to get the Abarth treatment was the successful Fiat Grande Punto, the popular supermini that is still one of the largest cars in the highly competitive B segment. Grande Punto combines space, accommodation and flexibility with state-of-the-art technology and a rewarding driving experience which lends itself perfectly to Abarth engineering.

But that was only the start: an Abarth version of Fiat’s new 500 supermini was launched in mainland Europe, with further exciting plans in the pipeline.

Founded in 1949 by the Austrian Carlo Abarth, the company made its début in the racing world with the 204 A Roadster (based on the Fiat 1100), which became instantly capable of winning the Italian 1100 sport and Formula 2 championships.

The brand became increasingly popular among motoring enthusiasts and its progress appeared unstoppable. Over the years it became a particularly authoritative name, reaching its peak at the end of the 1950s and throughout the 1960s. Carlo Abarth devoted himself entirely to building up the ‘Scorpion’ legend and his work rate, almost frenetic, revealed the nature of his genius.

Abarths impressive roll of honour: 10 world records, 133 international records and over 10,000 track victories surely stamps its claim on its legendry status.'