Carlo Abarth (15 November 1908 – 24 October 1979), born Karl Albert Abarth, was an Italian automobile designer.
Abarth was born in Austria, but later was naturalized as an Italian citizen; and at this time his first name Karl Albert was changed to its Italian equivalent of Carlo Alberto.
"Just got my '17 500 Abarth a couple weeks ago. The updated Abarth has the TFT tach/speedo screen, which has the looks and functionality. Plus has the touch screen head unit.
"Absolutely love this little thing. Can park in tight spaces, has enough pep to have fun, sounds amazing, and is just the right amount of weird. It's the perfect stablemate to my 987 Boxster S."
Abarth has always been a fairly niche proposition, so what exactly is the difference between Abarth and Fiat?
In this short edition of Car Facts, we take a look at the differences between Fiat and Abarth.
The History Of Abarth
Abarth was founded in 1949 by Carlo Abarth, who had always had a passion for Motorsport and vehicles since a young age.
Carlo Abarth with some of his weird and wonderful racing creations
In its early days, Abarth produced both custom vehicles built for racing (starting with the 204 A Roadster based on the Fiat 1100) as well as producing tuning kits for existing vehicles to improve their power and performance.
A big breakthrough for Abarth came in 1958, when Fiat released the original 500.
Abarth developed a modified version (the ‘595’ – as per the modern 500 Abarth, and later the 695) that had substantially more power and performance prowess.
This is perhaps Abarth’s most famous creation.
An example of the original 595 Abarth
Over the following years, Abarth continued to develop and release performance kits as well as their own race cars and modified variants.
Yesterday I parked next to a little Abarth hatchback, although I didn't notice it until I had already parked. Small and sightly, it had the old Abarth scorpion logo. As the article, which I couldn't publish in full, went on to state... Abarth is a subsidiary of Fiat. It can be ambiguous, as some cars can have the Abarth logo but not be a genuine Abarth. The old days of an automobile manufacturer being associated with a city, or additionally even a heritage, now it all to the highest bidder. However, Abarth is still headquartered in Turn as it has been since 1949.
Abarth & C. S.p.A. (pronounced [ˈabart]) 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 FCA Italy S.p.A. division. Its logo is a shield with a stylized scorpion on a yellow and red background.
Type: Subsidiary (S.p.A.) Industry: Automotive Founded: March 31, 1949; 72 years ago Founder: Carlo Abarth Headquarters: Turin, Italy Area served: EMEA Key people: Olivier François, CEO; Alfredo Altavilla, COO Owner: Stellantis Parent: FCA Italy S.p.A. Website: www.abarth.com
Love Affair | FIAT 500X and FIAT 124 Spider FIAT USA FIAT has a way of seducing one’s heart from the get go. Whether it’s the performance of the FIAT 124 Spider or the FIAT 500X; prepare to be enchanted. FIAT has been offering customers affordable yet innovative solutions to meet their mobility needs for more than a century. The brand’s mission is to combine the Italian passion for design and originality with efficiency and versatility to simplify everyday life with the joyful usefulness of its products. If you have questions about our products or would like to contact FIAT directly, please use the "Contact Us" option from our website: www.fiatusa.com. SUBSCRIBE TO THE FIAT BRAND YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/user/fiatusa Follow the FIAT brand on social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiatusa Twitter: https://twitter.com/fiatusa Google+: https://plus.google.com/+FIATUSA/posts Instagram: http://instagram.com/fiatusa Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/fiatusa/ Tumblr: http://fiatusa.tumblr.com Blog: http://blog.fiatusa.com/ *************************
. 'Fiat Chrysler’s Income Soars in Latest Quarter' By Chester Dawson - The Wall Street Journal - January 25, 2018 Italian-American auto maker’s profit margins surpass rival Ford Motor DETROIT—Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Thursday it nearly doubled its earnings in the latest quarter, moving the auto maker closer to its ambitious growth targets and surpassing the profitability at rival Ford Motor Co. The strong results are a sign of the company's revival after emerging from bankruptcy almost a decade ago and the merger with Fiat under the Italian auto maker's chief executive, Sergio Marchionne. con't...
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FIAT: Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin)
An aerial view of Piedmont RAI http://www.expo.rai.it - Piedmont on the fly. From the Sacra di San Michele at the entrance of Val di Susa, up until the magnificent scenes of the Langhe and Roero countryside, which together with Monferrato have been declared World Heritage sites for their enchanting landscapes of vineyards. And then off to Turin, with the Mole Antonelliana, the architecture of the Savoys and the sumptuous royal residences. Do not miss the royal Palace of Venaria. Piedmont’s rice fields stretching as far as the eye are astonishing, as is the beautiful island of Isola Bella in the center of Lake Maggiore, which enchants us with its mysterious beauty. .
This is one of the recent FIAT commercials. FIAT has emerged as a major player in the automobile industry worldwide. The northern Cisalpine industrial centers have been at the cutting edge of this industry from the very beginning. I feel a slight urge to write something a little sarcastic, but I don't want to get in the way of everyone's fun!
Many people seem not to realize that the industrial cities of Northern Italy were center points of the development of the automobile from its beginnings. Now with FIAT making a move to become one of the very top auto producers in the world, we should at least take a look here. Even if you're like me, and believe that foreign interests should not be able to own anything in America, you may want to look into the very interesting history of FIAT and other auto makers in Northern Italy. There's a good amount more of history and information on the Wiki page, and YouTube has many videos on FIAT.
"Fiat S.p.A., an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (English: Italian Automobile Factory of Turin), is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial and industrial group based in Turin in the Piedmont region. Founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli. Fiat has also manufactured tanks and aircraft.
[Left: FIAT 1899 Model]
"Fiat based cars are constructed all around the world—the largest concern outside Italy is in Brazil (best seller). It also has factories in Argentina and Poland. Fiat has a long history of licensing its products to other countries regardless of local political or cultural persuasion. Joint venture operations are found in France, Turkey, Egypt (with the state owned Nasr car company), South Africa, India, and China.
"Agnelli's grandson Gianni Agnelli was Fiat chairman from 1966 until his death on 24 January 2003. However, from 1996, he only served as an "honorary" chairman, while the chairman was Cesare Romiti. After their removal, Paolo Fresco served as chairman and Paolo Cantarella as CEO. Umberto Agnelli then took over as chairman from 2002 to 2004. After Umberto Agnelli's death on 28 May 2004, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was named chairman, but Agnelli heir John Elkann became vice chairman at age 28 and other family members are on the board. At this point, CEO Giuseppe Morchio immediately offered his resignation. Sergio Marchionne was named to replace him on 1 June 2004."
ROME – Fiat Group SpA confirmed Sunday it was in talks to acquire General Motor's European operations with the aim of possibly creating a new company to also include its newly acquired Chrysler automaker.
Combined, the new automaker would have euro80 billion ($105 billion) in annual revenues, Fiat said in a statement.
Fiat said it was evaluating the possible spinoff of its auto business to form the core of the new company. Fiat Group Automobiles includes the Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari brands.
The statement was issued on the eve of a meeting in Berlin between Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne and the German economy and foreign ministers to discuss Fiat's offer for GM's German unit, Opel.
GM Europe also includes the British company Vauxhall and the Swedish carmaker Saab.
GM has been trying to find investors for its noncore and unprofitable assets as part of a restructuring in which it has sought billions of dollars in aid from the U.S. government to avert collapse.
Opel has said it needs euro3.3 billion ($4.3 billion) to get through the economic crisis. The German government has said it doesn't foresee giving direct state aid. Chancellor Angela Merkel has suggested the government could help an Opel investor with loan guarantees.
Fiat said that over the next few weeks, Marchionne will be looking "to assess the viability of a merger of the activities of Fiat Group Automobiles (including the interest in Chrysler) and General Motors Europe into a new company."
"As part of this process, the group would evaluate several corporate structures, including the potential spinoff of Fiat Group Automobiles and the subsequent listing of a new company which combines those activities with the activities of General Motors Europe."
In an interview Sunday with Corriere della Sera, Fiat Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo called GM's Opel an "ideal partner" and a possible takeover by Fiat an "extraordinary opportunity."
Fiat is not the only suitor for Opel, however. Last week, Canadian car parts maker Magna International Inc. presented German Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg with what the minister called a "rough concept for a commitment with Opel."
Guttenberg has said the German government would wait to determine its role in any full or partial Opel sale until after the U.S. government had weighed in.
Fiat, meanwhile, has pressed ahead with a takeover of Chrysler, with attorneys for the U.S. auto manufacturer saying the company would file a motion to sell substantially all of its assets to the Italian automaker.
In addition to Fiat Group Automobiles, the Fiat Group also includes its agricultural vehicles branch CNH and its Iveco trucking unit, as well as a media arm.
Associated Press reporter Colleen Barry contributed to this report.
By Colleen Barry and Tom Krisher, AP Business Writers
MILAN – Fiat is trying to build a global automaking powerhouse out of parts scavenged from broken-down General Motors and Chrysler.
The Italian automaker struck a deal last week that could eventually give it a controlling interest in Chrysler, but its ambitions are bigger than that: Now it is negotiating to buy GM's main European unit, which includes the Opel and Vauxhall brands.
Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne's grand plan is for Fiat to spin off the resulting automaker, which he said would be big enough to compete with the mightiest of car companies, with capacity to turn out some 5.5 million vehicles a year.
Fiat could become the fifth- or sixth-largest automaker in the world if it can complete its deals with Chrysler and GM, said Michael Robinet, vice president of global vehicle forecasts for CSM Worldwide, an industry consulting firm in Northville, Mich.
Currently, Fiat is considered a smaller, regional player, ranking 10th worldwide in cars and trucks produced.
Fiat's aim eventually is become the world's No. 2 automaker, behind Japan's Toyota, according to Germany's economics minister, who met with Marchionne on Monday in Berlin.
But there are lots of questions about whether Marchionne can pull it off.
The plan is audacious, not the least because Marchionne is hoping to execute it without putting down a cent. Fiat is hoping to take advantage of the crisis in the auto industry by obtaining billions in loan guarantees from the U.S., Canada and various European governments.
"We're in the middle of an automotive yard sale," Robinet said. Marchionne has "gone to a yard sale and picked up the really good stuff."
Fiat's deal to take a big piece of Chrysler could not only save Chrysler, it would give Fiat access to the huge North American market.
And by buying GM's main European operations, Fiat could cut its production and development costs through economies of scale and gain expertise in building midsize and larger cars. Fiat, the maker of Fiats, Alfa Romeos and Ferraris, specializes in small cars.
Marchionne made the rounds in Berlin on Monday, seeking to persuade German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her economics and finance ministers that Fiat can save many of the 25,000 jobs at Germany's Opel, not to mention its supplier network. GM employs some 54,000 in Europe, including at Sweden Saab and Britain's Vauxhall. It is not clear whether Saab would be part of a deal with Fiat.
Max Warburton, a Sanford C. Bernstein auto analyst, questioned whether a collection of loss-making auto companies can generate cash, noting that Fiat's auto business posts a profit only because of its Brazil operations. But the really big question is: Where will the capital come from for the new company?
Warburton suggested that Fiat will need to sell off its "jewel assets," CNH agricultural and construction vehicles and Iveco trucks. Marchionne has ruled that out.
In Germany, Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said Fiat estimated its short-term financing needs in Europe — stemming from GM's debts and pension obligations — at $6.6 billion to $9.3 billion, which could be covered by loan guarantees from various governments.
"Fiat wants to get into this deal without debts of its own," Guttenberg said.
GM, for its part, has been trying to find investors to help stave off collapse.
"We are talking to them, amongst other parties. Not solely Fiat, but several parties who have an interest in making investment in our European business," GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in an interview Monday with The Associated Press.
While analysts see advantages in a Fiat-Chrysler combination, there is much more skepticism among industry experts and unions in Italy and Germany about the wisdom of a play for Opel. German unions are worried about jobs, and sour about the $2 billion that Fiat walked away with when a previous partnership with GM was dissolved.
Asked what the plan might mean in terms of job losses or plant closings, Guttenberg said Marchionne "hasn't offered any specific numbers yet, but he described them as not being too dramatic."
In a note to investors, Warburton, the industry analyst, said an Opel deal "makes sense if it can be made to function."
"We remain unconvinced that Fiat has the management depth to pull off this very ambitious task," Warburton said, "although we acknowledge that the company clearly keeps its talent obscured."
But Adam Jonas, auto analyst with Morgan Stanley, said if anyone can pull off such a spectacular gambit, it is Marchionne. Jonas said Marchionne is known for putting in long hours and cultivating talented management teams.
Tom Krisher reported from Detroit. AP Auto Writer Kimberly S. Johnson in Detroit, and Associated Press writers Geir Moulson and Patrick McGroarty in Berlin contributed to this report.
