Abarth: Part 2: - "Absolutely love this little thing"

Carlo Abarth

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 
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OLD CARS ARE THE BEST! 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth

205,626 views - May 23, 2021

TheStraightPipes

1.56M subscribers

Buying a $10,000 hot hatch series, continuing with the 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth. $10,000 CAD is $8,000 USD.

con't....

 

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"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."

-- Crosby

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Two early Abarth logos

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Abarth Club Marbella’s Instagram post: “Scott Sheferman's Awesome Fiat Abarth 500 Custom!#abarthclubmarbella”

Abarth Club Marbella (@abarthclubmarbella) on Instagram: “Scott Sheferman's Awesome Fiat Abarth 500 Custom!#abarthclubmarbella”

Bruno Delouche

 

 

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 Abarth YouTube Channel

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'How Its Made: Dream Cars' - Lamborghini Aventador

The fastest Lamborghini yet with a 12-cylinder engine, and a look at how a new leap in artistic design and manufacturing logistics occurs.

'Lamborghini Factory: The Story' - National Geographic

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FIAT 500L "Italian invasion" commercial

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!

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Ferrari rides wave of green super-cars

[Above: BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 27: A model stands beside a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta car during the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition at China International Exhibition Center on April 27, 2012 in Beijing, China. More than 2,000 automotive enterprises from 14 countries and regions participated in the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition from April 23 to May 2. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images; Photo: Feng Li / Getty Images]

Spotlight on Technology (Market date provided by Bloomberg News)

Ferrari hybrid surpassing Enzo as costliest car

Tommaso Ebhardt (tebhardt@bloomberg.net) - Bloomberg News - May 17, 2012

Ferrari will turn to fuel-saving hybrid technology to create its most powerful and expensive model, showing that even elite performance cars are under pressure to get greener.

The Italian automaker's first hybrid, called the F70 in trade press and blogs, will probably surpass the $850,000 price of the limited-edition Enzo, said a person familiar with the plan.

Using technology developed for Formula One racing, the model will combine two electric motors with a 12-cylinder gasoline engine to produce more horsepower than any previous Ferrari, while cutting fuel consumption 40 percent.

"Dedicated Ferrari drivers look first at power and technology," said Fabio Barone, chairman of the Passione Rossa owners club, who has two Ferraris. "The new Enzo will satisfy their appetite."

The model is part of a wave of green super-cars as high-end automakers step up efforts to make their models environmentally palatable, while still maintaining or boosting performance. As more models become available and emission rules tighten, sales of hybrid super-cars may surge from less than 100 this year to more than 2,100 in 2015, according to IHS Automotive.

Top-of-the-line Porsche

Porsche, which now sells hybrid versions of the Cayenne sport utility vehicle and Panamera four-door coupe, plans to start deliveries next year of the 918 Spyder, which will cost around $845,000. The top-of-the-line Porsche sports car will combine a 500-horsepower engine with 218-horsepower electric motors to hit a top speed of more than 199 mph.

BMW will roll out the i8 plug-in hybrid in 2014. The BMW super-car will be able to drive up to 21 miles on electric power and accelerate to 62 mph in less than 5 seconds.

"If you want to sell a vehicle in the U.S. and Europe, you must show you want to make the difference in terms of lower emissions, even if you sell" a $125,000 car, said Ian Fletcher, an analyst at IHS Automotive in London. "Even a super-car becomes more usable for city driving if it carries a hybrid engine."

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus, which has led the way among luxury-car makers in introducing the technology, offers five hybrid models, ranging from the $29,120 CT to the $112,750 LS. Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz sells the $91,850 S-Class hybrid and introduced a diesel-electric version of the E-Class in Germany this year. Volkswagen AG's ultra-luxury Bentley brand is considering a plug-in hybrid version of a planned SUV.

U.S. seen as big market

The Ferrari hybrid will go on sale starting next year, with the United States likely to be the model's biggest market, the person said, declining to be identified because the plans have not yet been made public. Ferrari will produce a limited number of the model, with the final price yet to be decided, the person said.

Ferrari, in Maranello in northern Italy, will show the heir to the Enzo this year, Chairman Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo said in a statement. Ferrari declined to comment on the vehicle beyond the statement.

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FIAT

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 (from description on its Wikipedia webpage):

"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."


Fiat eyes new company with GM Europe, Chrysler (Yahoo News 5-3-09)

By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Writer

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.


Fiat is out to create automotive powerhouse (Yahoo News 5-4-09)

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.

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6-9-09 UPDATE: 'High court won't block Chrysler sale' (Yahoo news w/slideshow)