The scorpion is a small and evil animal, in its nature it paralyzes its rivals with the venom of its stinger. Perhaps that is why Carlo Abarth chose this animal to represent his brand 75 years ago. For that and for the small detail that he was born in November and his zodiac sign is Scorpio.
Although the brand was born on March 31, 1949, when Abarth (1908-1979) founded the company with the pilot Guido Scagliarini, the paste that Carlo was made of was already revealed at the age of eleven, when he decided to cover the wheel with wood of his scooter with a leather strap to gain speed and defeat older boys.
Since then, Abarth's exploits as a driver were a constant. In the saddle of a motorcycle with a sidecar he challenged and defeated the Orient Express on the 1,370 km Vienna-Ostend line. As a car driver, called in to replace a sick driver, he gets the best time. The other drivers accuse him of having tampered with the car, and to prove his innocence, he changes vehicles. In the second test, he again achieved pole position, improving the time even more.
The first vehicle produced by the Abarth & C. company was the 204 A Roadster, created on the basis of the FIAT 1100, and which won the Italian 1100 Sport championship. In addition to racing, the company began to produce tuning kits to improve the performance, power and speed of standard vehicles.
Mario Poltronieri at the wheel of the record-breaking Fiat Abarth 1000 with Pinin Farina bodywork
PF
In just a few years, Abarth & C. reached 375 employees and achieved a production of around 300,000 exhaust systems per year. In the Abarth philosophy, cars must be manageable, powerful and guarantee high performance. Precisely for this reason, the founder of the brand focused a lot of work on collecting records. In the 1950s and throughout the 1960s, the Abarth brand continued to make its way and imposed itself in the collective imagination as a synonym for sport, tuning and performance, and revolutionized the world of sports cars.
But Carlo not only liked to create competitive vehicles, the racing bug kept him behind the wheel. At the age of 57, for example, he breaks the acceleration record at the wheel of his Fiat Abarth “1000 monoposto record” Class G, and the next day he breaks said record once again with a single-seater Class E. To get into the cabin , lost 30 kg following an apple-based diet.
Tazio Nuvolari in the Cisitalia-Abarth 204 A. Carlo Abarth on the right
PF
The Abarth brand continues to retain the DNA that characterizes it, and is still synonymous today with performance, great driving pleasure and a sporty seal. The story of the Scorpion continues, facing new challenges, creating unique vehicles and giving great emotions to those who put themselves at its command.
New times have led the brand to take the step towards electrification with the appearance of the Abarth 500e, a 100% electric model that remains faithful to its origins. Breakneck acceleration and great performance on the circuit. But to maintain one of the brand's characteristics, the dull roar produced by acceleration, the new model incorporates an artificial sound that reproduces it.
In summer, what is called to be the most powerful Abarth in its history will arrive, the Abarth 600e, which will have 240 horsepower, making it the most powerful car manufactured by Abarth. The launch version of the 600e will be called Scorpionissima and its production will be limited to 1,949 units (which was the year this brand was founded).
To commemorate the birthday, in March the brand launched the special edition, the Abarth 695 75th Anniversary, a limited edition model of only 1,368 units, a number that refers to the displacement of the well-known 1.4 T-Jet engine. A true gem that houses a 180 HP gasoline engine that reaches 225 km/h.
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