Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by

Stellantis Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50–50 cross-border merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group. The compa ...

through its Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a shield with a stylized

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always endi ...

on a yellow and red background.

History

1949: Abarth & C.

Carlo Abarth was

sporting director A sporting director, or director of sport, is an executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many types of sports. The sport ...

of the

Cisitalia Cisitalia was an Italian sports and racing car brand. The name "Cisitalia" derives from "Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia", a business conglomerate founded in Turin in 1946 and controlled by the wealthy industrialist and sportsman Piero Dusi ...

racing team starting in 1947. The following year, the manufacturer folded, and founder Piero Dusio flew to Argentina. Abarth, funded by Armando Scagliarini, took over Cisitalia's assets and on 31 March 1949, Abarth & C. was founded in

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

. Carlo's astrological sign, Scorpio, was chosen as the company logo. From the Cisitalia liquidation, Abarth obtained five 204 sports cars (two complete Spiders and three unfinished), a D46

single-seater An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have th ...

, and various spares. The Cisitalia 204s were immediately rechristened Abarth Cisitalia 204A. Abarth proceeded to build and race a series of sports cars developed from these last

cars. In addition to Guido Scagliarini, the "Squadra Abarth" racing team lined up celebrated drivers, including

Tazio Nuvolari Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari (; 16 November 1892 – 11 August 1953) was an Italian racing driver. He first raced motorcycles and then concentrated on sports cars and single-seaters. A resident of Mantua, he was known as 'Il Mantovano Volante' (Th ...

, Franco Cortese, and Piero Taruffi. Notably, Tazio Nuvolari made his last appearance in racing at the wheel of an Abarth 204A, winning its class in the Palermo–Monte Pellegrino hillclimb on 10 April 1950. Alongside racing, the company's main activity was producing and selling accessories and performance parts for

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

Lancia Lancia () is an Italian car manufacturer and a subsidiary of FCA Italy S.p.A., which is currently a Stellantis division. The present legal entity of Lancia was formed in January 2007 when its corporate parent reorganised its businesses, but it ...

, Cisitalia, and

Simca Simca (; Mechanical and Automotive Body Manufacturing Company) was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat S.p.A. and directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by Italian Henri Pigozzi. Simca was affiliated with Fiat and, after Simca bo ...

cars, like

inlet manifold In automotive engineering, an inlet manifold or intake manifold (in American English) is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/ air mixture to the cylinders. The word ''manifold'' comes from the Old English word ''manigfeald'' (from th ...

s and silencers. On 9 April 1951, the company's headquarters were moved to

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. Th ...

; Abarth began his well-known association with Fiat in 1952, when it built the

Abarth 1500 Biposto The Abarth 1500 Biposto was an experimental coupe designed by Franco Scaglione, who worked for Bertone at the time. It was displayed at the 1952 Turin Motor Show. Following the Turin Show, it was purchased by Packard Packard or Packard Moto ...

on Fiat mechanicals. In the 1960s, Abarth was successful in hillclimbing and sports-car racing, mainly in classes from 850 to 2000 cc, competing with Porsche 904 and

Ferrari Dino Dino () was a marque best known for MR layout, mid-engined, rear-drive sports cars produced by Ferrari from 1957 to 1976. The marque came into existence in late 1956 with a front-engined Formula Two racer powered by a brand new ''Ferrari Dino engi ...

. Hans Herrmann was a factory driver from 1962 until 1965, winning the 500 km Nürburgring in 1963 with Teddy Pilette. Abarth promised

Johann Abt Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...

that he could race a factory car 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. Fiat Abarth 595 - Automotoretrò 2012 (6864198535)

Fiat Abarth 595 - Automotoretrò 2012 (6864198535)

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 Lambretta () is the brand name of mainly motor scooters, initially manufactured in Milan, Italy, by Innocenti. The name is derived from the word Lambrate, the suburb of Milan named after the river Lambro which flows through the area, and wh ...

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 125 cc motorcycle land speed records during the 1950s due partly to the exhaust that Abarth developed for them. Abarth also helped build sports or racing cars with Porsche and Simca.

1971: Fiat takeover

Carlo sold Abarth to Fiat on 31 July 1971. The acquisition was not made public until 15 October. As Fiat was not interested in the Reparto Corse racing operations, these were taken over by Enzo Osella. Osella obtained cars, spares, technicians, and drivers (amongst them

Arturo Merzario Arturo Francesco "Art" Merzario (born 11 March 1943 in Civenna, Como) (erroneously registered as Arturio on his birth certificate) is a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting at the ...

), and continued the racing activity, founding the

Osella Osella is an Italian racing car manufacturer and former Formula One team. They participated in 132 List of Formula One Grands Prix, Grands Prix between 1980 and 1990. They achieved two points finishes and scored five championship points. Early ...

racing team. Thus ended for Abarth the days of sport prototype and hillclimb racing. Under Fiat ownership, Abarth became the Fiat Group's racing department, managed by engine designer

Aurelio Lampredi Aurelio Lampredi (16 June 1917 – 1 June 1989) was an Italian automobile and aircraft engine designer. Born in Livorno, he began his career before World War II at Piaggio, moved to Isotta Fraschini, and then joined Reggiane. This time he desig ...

. Abarth prepared Fiat's rally cars, including the Fiat 124 Abarth Rally and 131 Abarth. In December 1977, in advance of the 1978 racing season, the beforehand competing Abarth and Squadra Corse Lancia factory racing operations were merged by Fiat into a single entity named EASA (''Ente per l'Attività Sportiva Automobilistica'', Organization for Car Sports Racing Activities). Cesare Fiorio (previously in charge of the Lancia rally team) was appointed director, while

Daniele Audetto Daniele Audetto (born May 4, 1943) is an Italian racing manager, former rallycar driver and sponsorship management executive. Previously, he was a managing director at the Super Aguri F1 team. He was formerly a racing manager with FIAT and Arrows ...

was

; the EASA headquarters were set up in Abarth's Corso Marche (Turin) offices. The combined racing department developed the Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo Group 5 racing car which won the

1980 World Championship for Makes The 1980 World Sportscar Championship season was the 28th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1980 World Championship for Makes which was contested as a series running under both Fédération Internationale d ...

and the

1981 World Endurance Championship of Makes The 1981 World Sportscar Championship season was the 29th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1981 FIA World Endurance Championship which was contested over a fifteen race series which ran from 31 January to 27 ...

. It also created the Lancia Rally 037

Group B Group B was a set of regulations for grand touring (GT) vehicles used in sports car racing and rallying introduced in 1982 by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Although permitted to enter a GT class of the World Sportsc ...

rally car, which won for Lancia the

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

World Manufacturers' Championship The World Manufacturers' Championship, also known as Automobile World Championship, was a competition organised by the AIACR between 1925 and 1930. Scoring system Unlike the modern Formula One points system, the championship awarded fewer points ...

). On 1 October 1981, Abarth & C. ceased to exist, and was replaced by Fiat Auto Gestione Sportiva, a division of the parent company specialised 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

and Autobianchi were co-branded Abarth, including the Autobianchi A112 Abarth, a lightweight and inexpensive " boy racer". The A112 Abarth was introduced with a 58 hp engine, soon followed by a 7 hp one, and a specific "A112 Abarth trophy" was run from 1977 to 1984. 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.

2007: Rebirth of Abarth & C. S.p.A.

On 1 February 2007 Abarth was re-established as an independent unit with the launch of the current company, Abarth & C. S.p.A., controlled 100% by Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A., the subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A. dealing with the production and selling of

passenger cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...

and light commercial vehicles. The first models launched were the

Abarth Grande Punto The Fiat Punto is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1993 to 2018, spanning over three generations. The third generation of the car was marketed between 2005 and 2009 as the Grande Punto, and between 2009 a ...

and the Abarth Grande Punto S2000. The brand is based in the Officine 83, part of the old Mirafiori engineering plant. The

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...

as of 2022 is

Olivier François Olivier François (October 4, 1961) is a French business executive and the current CEO of Fiat and Abarth. He also serves as global chief marketing officer for Stellantis, as well as a member of the company's Group Executive Council, a position h ...

. In 2015, Abarth's parent company was renamed

FCA Italy S.p.A. Stellantis Italy, formerly known as Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. from 2007 to 2014 and FCA Italy S.p.A. from 2014 to 2021, is the Italian subsidiary of the multinational automaker Stellantis, dedicated to the production and selling of passenger ...

, reflecting the incorporation of Fiat S.p.A. into

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) was an Italian-American multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles, commercial vehicles, auto parts and production systems. The Italian holding company Exor was the largest s ...

that took place in the previous months.

Yamaha XSR900 Abarth

In 2017, Abarth collaborated with Yamaha to produce a limited-edition motorcycle, the "Sport Heritage café racer special", named the XSR900 Abarth. It is based on the Yamaha XSR900 847 cc inline-triple neo-retro standard.

Production

Current models

Cars produced by Abarth

* Fiat-Abarth 500 * Fiat-Abarth 750 * Fiat-Abarth 1000 TC (Fiat 600 based) * Fiat-Abarth 850 TC *

Abarth 1100 Scorpione Spider (Boano) Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and Car tuning, performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its FCA Italy, Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a ...

* Abarth Simca 2000 – coupé *

Abarth 204A Berlinetta Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a shield with a styliz ...

Abarth 205A Berlinetta The Abarth 205A Berlinetta was a coupé sports car, also known as the Abarth 205A Monza built by Austrian born tuning expert Carlo Abarth in 1950. It was a development of the Abarth Cisitalia 204A but with a new platform chassis, still using the ...

Alfa Romeo Abarth 2000 Coupe The Alfa Romeo Abarth 2000 Coupe (also known as the Abarth-Alfa Romeo 2000 Coupe) is a one-off concept car produced by Abarth, in collaboration with Alfa Romeo, and designed by Ghia, in 1954. History The coupe was designed by Italian automotive d ...

* Abarth 207A Spyder Corsa Boano *

Abarth 208A Spyder Boano Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a shield with a stylize ...

* Abarth 209A Coupé Boano''Abarth 209A Boano Coupe'', www.ultimatecarpage.com
Retrieved on 15 July 2014 * Abarth 210A Spyder Boano * Porsche 356 B Carrera GTL Abarth * Abarth Simca 1300 GT * Fiat-Abarth OT1000 * Fiat-Abarth 1000 OTR Berlinetta Bertone * Fiat-Abarth OT1600 * Fiat-Abarth OT 2000 Competition CoupéThe Observer's Book of Automobiles, Thirteenth Edition, 1967, page 27 * Fiat-Abarth 750 Zagato * Fiat-Abarth 2200 * Fiat-Abarth 750 Spider Allemano * Fiat-Abarth 2400 * Fiat Abarth 1000 TCR Berlina * Abarth 215A Coupé Bertone * Abarth 216A Spyder Bertone * 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 Abarth 124 Rally The Fiat 124 Sport Spider is a convertible sports car marketed by Fiat for model years 1966–1985. Designed by and manufactured at the Italian ''carrozzeria'' Pininfarina factory, the monocoque, front-engine, rear drive ''Sport Spider'' debu ...

* Fiat 131 Abarth Rally * Lancia Rally 037

Cars not produced by Abarth but with Abarth badges

* Fiat Bravo GT/HGT (Abarth) * Fiat Stilo 2.4 Abarth * Fiat Punto HGT (Abarth) * Fiat Cinquecento Sporting (Abarth) * Fiat Seicento Sporting (Abarth)

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

* Abarth 500 / Fiat 500 Abarth (NA) * Abarth 595 * Abarth 695 *

* Abarth Punto Evo * Abarth 124 Spider / Fiat 124 Spider Abarth (NA) * Fiat Abarth Punto

Cars produced with Abarth tuning

* Fiat 500 TwinAir byAbarth * Fiat 500S by Abarth * Fiat Avventura Powered by Abarth * Fiat Urban Cross Powered by Abarth * Fiat 124 Spider Elaborazione Abarth (cancelled)

Cars produced by other manufacturers with involvement from Abarth

Lancia Delta S4 The Lancia Delta S4 is a Group B rally car manufactured by the Italian car company Lancia. The Delta S4 competed in the World Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986, until Group B class was disbanded and the cars were eventually banned from competi ...

for

– 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

Motorsport

Rally

FIA R-GT Cup

* 2017 FIA R-GT Cup (Runner-up) *

2018 FIA R-GT Cup The 2018 FIA R-GT Cup was the fourth edition of the FIA Rallying, rally cup for Grand tourer, GT cars in Group RGT, Group R-GT. The cup was contested over 5 tarmac rounds from the 2018 World Rally Championship, WRC, the 2018 European Rally Champion ...

(Champion) *

2019 FIA R-GT Cup The 2019 FIA R-GT Cup is the fifth edition of the FIA rally cup for GT cars in Group R-GT. The cup is being contested over 8 tarmac rounds from the WRC, the ERC and the Rallye International du Valais.