Benvenuti amici!
We celebrated our 100th blog entry with a short story on Autobianchi a/k/a the heritage of innovation. We continue that theme with another FIAT S.p.A. partner… the one & only King of "Small but Wicked".
We celebrated our 100th blog entry with a short story on Autobianchi a/k/a the heritage of innovation. We continue that theme with another FIAT S.p.A. partner… the one & only King of "Small but Wicked".
By now, after the relaunch of the performance brand in 2008, all the world knows the name Abarth. If you are fortunate enough to live with either a vintage or contemporary ABARTH, you may know a little about the ethnic Austrian founder… Karl 'Carlo' Abarth. But I'd like to look at the abbreviated story we know in a slightly little less abbreviated way. I think doing this helps appreciate the heritage of our FIATs in a personally deeper way than we already do. Does this read like a worthwhile venture to you?
Ready. Steady. Go.
In his youth, Herr Abarth raced bicycles and, later, motorcycles. Following a life-threatening accident, in Wels Austria, he was forced to retire. He took to the idea of utilizing the motorbike sidecar and returned to racing (against physician's advice) with Joseph Holly. In Holly he found a kindred spirt… someone equally possessed by the engine and the freedom it provided those wielding its power. It was, perhaps, during this period the young Abarth developed his fighting spirit.
Together, the pair would design an unusually modified & dangerous motorcycle sidecar (a sidecar that increased their competitive edge and scared the bejesus out of their sponsor, Sunbeam Motorcycles). But the relentless pairing of Holly & Abarth would go on to secure many victories. This marked the beginning of what would become the Abarth way…
Mounting victories took Herr Karl Abarth outside Austria and, eventually, in a tragic race in Ljubljana Slovenija (former Jugoslavija/Yugoslavia), out of motorcycle racing forever. But graver challenges lay ahead of him.
By this time, the hostilities of World War II were in full swing and Hr. Abarth, an Austro-Italian, found himself in now hostile territory. He was allowed to join the migratory movement out of Yugoslavia and made his way, on foot, to Meran/Merano Italy via Trst/Trieste (Slovenia/Italy). Abarth's paternal family long owned a successful business in Merano (a half Germanic-Autsrian-half-Latin-Italian territory). From the ashes of war and the comfort of his childhood sanctuary, don 'Carlo' would emerge a man more determined than ever to carve a name for himself in the annals of history. But, first, new life would need to be pieced together and fortunes would need to be replenished. Sr. Abarth returned to bicycles, reluctantly selling Bianchis. With the benefit of hindsight (Bianchi + FIAT = Autobianchi), one could theorize the occasion must have been an omen.
A short time later, don Carlo would make contact with old family friends and fellow Austrians, the Porsche family. He began, in earnest, to secure rights to represent Porsche interests in Italy. Following WWII, it was near impossible for the automaker to do so without inside help. Sealing the distribution deal would/did mark his official return to the motorized world. The man was, once again living up to his astrological birth symbol and doing so with an unquenchable passion for speed.
With Porsche backing and the benefit of Italian nationality, don Carlo found himself in an unique position and in exclusive company. Representing the company interests meant Abarth had access to industrialists with the means to help him exercise his motorized ideas in gas, tires and oil. One particular racing legend turned industrialist, don Piero Dusio, having already convinced don Dante Giacosa to build the Cisitalia D46 (engineered from the FIAT 1100 and the FIAT 500 Topolino), found a passion-for-petrol match in the Austro-Italian. See, the Cisitalia D46 marked the rebirth of Italian Motorsport and don Dusio was hungry for more. These relationships were key to bringing don Carlo to Torino/Turin and, ultimately, into the the Angelli/FIAT fold.
Investment misfortune in the Cisitalia camp and Abarths insistence on 50% share in the company whose former success was in large part due to his work for them, as both an engineer and serving as sports director, would later set the stage for don Carlo to strike out on his own.
ABARTH & Co. was founded in 1949, with a lovely new Slovene wife (polyglot Nadina Abarth-Zerjav) and a handful of engineers-designers-technicians from the, now, defunct Cisitalia. The fledgling company needed a logo… one that defined the man at the helm and the spirit of the journey that lay ahead of his team. Don Karl 'Carlo' Abarth looked back on his life and chose the only symbol that made sense of the peaks & valleys he saw… his astrological sign… The Scorpio Rising. The early logo also utilized the primary colors; azzurro/blue, giallo/yellow and rosso/red. This color combination is also represented on the Meran/Merano coat-of-arms. I find it difficult to consider these choices as anything less than filled with absolute philosophical purpose.
Now, Abarth was on his own & once again solely responsible for his motorized legacy. But, now, he was also responsible for the livelihoods of the gifted individuals he was able to secure from Cisitalia. Don Carlo defined the collective mission of the fledging company as such, "The production of vehicles and complementary equipment for sports and racing cars, as well as modification of and improvements to sports and racing cars, service, preparation of equipment for mass production, the assumption of representatives and the sale of fuel for racing cars". No pressure… not ambitious at all. Am I right?
Where does one begin?
Well, if you're someone as committed as the new industrialist, you take some time to evaluate what was gained in the liquidation of Cisitalia. In this case, don Carlo assumed possession of don Dante's D46 and three other race cars. Oh! and a team consisting of many of the greatest drivers of the period.
The company logo, engineering & driving team, and accompanying mission statement said it all. Sr. Abarth was interested in nothing less than becoming a legend for all times. He was willing & able to get the job done.
In the worlds of philosophy and religion, every great teacher… every miracle worker… has a herald or scribe to announce their coming and arrival. In the world of small performance cars, that herald is the sound of an ABARTH. It is worth mentioning the system don Carlo created was especially popular with the 500 'Topolino' crowd. The scene, as they say, was set for all involved players.
A new company, one of the best race teams in the business and a popular exhaust system in the bin and… still… the man behind it all was still not satisfied. Fast-forward to 1955. On 12 March, the most influential of all ABARTH cars hit the marketplace. The Abarth version of the ultra-popular FIAT 600, another creation of Sr. Dante Giacosa, is still among the most popular Italian runabouts of all time. The base car, from its inception, was designed-engineered to be simple and reliable. But even don Dante has been quoted as conceding it was capable of much more. His mission was to create cars FIAT could build inexpensively and people could afford to purchase & maintain. The ABARTH mission was quite different. Don Carlo saw all the power don Dante left untapped and set out to exploit it.
The Boano-designed ABARTH 210A is first of many cars don Carlo would base on FIAT 600 mechanicals. The discoveries made with the 210A, as well as the modified 600s that followed, set the stage for the brand we know today. Design houses, such as, Bertone, Pinnifarina and Zagato entered relationships with ABARTH & Co.. Together, they designed-engineered land speed record rockets. The greatness Sr. Abarth dreamed for himself & his team was beginning to materialize. The man, of course, set the bar of expectation higher.
In July 1957 FIAT S.p.A. introduced the Nuova Cinquecento. While the Seicento was much more affordable than the original 500, it was still designed with drivers in mind. Its size and sophistication were a clear indication of the fact. The automaker, with the pen of don Giacosa, now set out to create a less sophisticated, less intimidating selection meant to put non-drivers behind the wheel. Don Carlo, still unable to hold the full attention of the top brass at FIAT believed a combination of his accomplishments with the 600-derived performance cars and a new performance version of the not yet as popular 500 could get him what he sought. As it would turn out, he was spot on.
The ABARTH-Zagato version of FIAT's latest utility car garnered lots of attention when it appeared alongside other 500 variations at its launch. The ABARTH-Zagato team had already produced the very popular 600-based 750 GT Coupé, and FIAT [successfully] sought to keep those wheels rolling with their new offering. If it was not already clear to him, Karl 'Carlo' Abarth had arrived. His life and the world of the automobile... and automobile racing... would never be the same. In the years that followed, ABARTH & Co. would continue to set land speed records as well as rule at the track. The company virtually became known, in the industry, as the 'Factory of Victories'. It seemed every company and marque wanted an ABARTH version. This did not escape the notice of the automaker responsible for the cars on which his fame was built.
In 1971 FIAT S.p.A. purchased ABARTH & Co. and, in doing so, would build a legend of FIAT domination in track, rally and hill climb competition not seen since the end of World War II. The Italian industrial dynasty had long abandoned such activities in favor of putting all of Italy (and greater Europe) on the road. But don Abarth had proven mass popularity could also be won on the track, in rallies and hill climb events. Utility cars need not only get drivers from Point A to Point B. Utility runabouts could deliver massive amounts of fun and democratize the racing world. I'm sure the lesson learned is not missed on any FIAT drivers since that time… including those initiated to the FIAT life experience since 2007.
So, as you make your way out to your beloved FIAT-ABARTH Punto or 500, I trust you will take what you've read here with you. Take your time to slide into the cockpit of your ride. Strap in and enjoy the process of placing your key into the ignition. Close your eyes. Turn said key & wait for the primer buzzing to stop and then, of course, start. Take a deep breath and listen intently at the sound of the exhaust Siren singing her song...
Ciao!
@
Ready. Steady. Go.
ABARTH-Porsche: The Austrian Connection
In his youth, Herr Abarth raced bicycles and, later, motorcycles. Following a life-threatening accident, in Wels Austria, he was forced to retire. He took to the idea of utilizing the motorbike sidecar and returned to racing (against physician's advice) with Joseph Holly. In Holly he found a kindred spirt… someone equally possessed by the engine and the freedom it provided those wielding its power. It was, perhaps, during this period the young Abarth developed his fighting spirit.
Together, the pair would design an unusually modified & dangerous motorcycle sidecar (a sidecar that increased their competitive edge and scared the bejesus out of their sponsor, Sunbeam Motorcycles). But the relentless pairing of Holly & Abarth would go on to secure many victories. This marked the beginning of what would become the Abarth way…
'Live to Win ~ Win to Live'.
Mounting victories took Herr Karl Abarth outside Austria and, eventually, in a tragic race in Ljubljana Slovenija (former Jugoslavija/Yugoslavia), out of motorcycle racing forever. But graver challenges lay ahead of him.
Down but not Dead: 1939 Motorcycle Crash
A short time later, don Carlo would make contact with old family friends and fellow Austrians, the Porsche family. He began, in earnest, to secure rights to represent Porsche interests in Italy. Following WWII, it was near impossible for the automaker to do so without inside help. Sealing the distribution deal would/did mark his official return to the motorized world. The man was, once again living up to his astrological birth symbol and doing so with an unquenchable passion for speed.
Scorpio Rising Star Cluster
With Porsche backing and the benefit of Italian nationality, don Carlo found himself in an unique position and in exclusive company. Representing the company interests meant Abarth had access to industrialists with the means to help him exercise his motorized ideas in gas, tires and oil. One particular racing legend turned industrialist, don Piero Dusio, having already convinced don Dante Giacosa to build the Cisitalia D46 (engineered from the FIAT 1100 and the FIAT 500 Topolino), found a passion-for-petrol match in the Austro-Italian. See, the Cisitalia D46 marked the rebirth of Italian Motorsport and don Dusio was hungry for more. These relationships were key to bringing don Carlo to Torino/Turin and, ultimately, into the the Angelli/FIAT fold.
Piero Dusio: Builder-Racer
Investment misfortune in the Cisitalia camp and Abarths insistence on 50% share in the company whose former success was in large part due to his work for them, as both an engineer and serving as sports director, would later set the stage for don Carlo to strike out on his own.
ABARTH & Co. was founded in 1949, with a lovely new Slovene wife (polyglot Nadina Abarth-Zerjav) and a handful of engineers-designers-technicians from the, now, defunct Cisitalia. The fledgling company needed a logo… one that defined the man at the helm and the spirit of the journey that lay ahead of his team. Don Karl 'Carlo' Abarth looked back on his life and chose the only symbol that made sense of the peaks & valleys he saw… his astrological sign… The Scorpio Rising. The early logo also utilized the primary colors; azzurro/blue, giallo/yellow and rosso/red. This color combination is also represented on the Meran/Merano coat-of-arms. I find it difficult to consider these choices as anything less than filled with absolute philosophical purpose.
Coat of Arms Meran/Merano
Early ABARTH & Co. logos
Coat of Arms Merano/Meran
Where does one begin?
Well, if you're someone as committed as the new industrialist, you take some time to evaluate what was gained in the liquidation of Cisitalia. In this case, don Carlo assumed possession of don Dante's D46 and three other race cars. Oh! and a team consisting of many of the greatest drivers of the period.
The company logo, engineering & driving team, and accompanying mission statement said it all. Sr. Abarth was interested in nothing less than becoming a legend for all times. He was willing & able to get the job done.
Cisitalia D46: Respect the Legend of the Line
Yes… 1949 was an exciting year for the Austro-Italian. Most men and/or women would be very pleased with themselves. I mean, the 'Carlo Abarth Team' placed as high as second place in their inaugural season. But you're reading about Karl 'Carlo' Abarth. 'Live to Win ~ Win to Live'. Remember? There was no room for satisfaction. There was not time for complacency. There was more to be done and ABARTH & Co. was the company to do it. All the aforementioned accomplishments of the year were overshadowed by what would become the single most identifiably ABARTH of creations… a performance exhaust system. This comes as no surprise to enthusiasts of the cars that came and continue to come from the house of ABARTH. In the worlds of philosophy and religion, every great teacher… every miracle worker… has a herald or scribe to announce their coming and arrival. In the world of small performance cars, that herald is the sound of an ABARTH. It is worth mentioning the system don Carlo created was especially popular with the 500 'Topolino' crowd. The scene, as they say, was set for all involved players.
FIAT 600-based ABARTH 210A
In July 1957 FIAT S.p.A. introduced the Nuova Cinquecento. While the Seicento was much more affordable than the original 500, it was still designed with drivers in mind. Its size and sophistication were a clear indication of the fact. The automaker, with the pen of don Giacosa, now set out to create a less sophisticated, less intimidating selection meant to put non-drivers behind the wheel. Don Carlo, still unable to hold the full attention of the top brass at FIAT believed a combination of his accomplishments with the 600-derived performance cars and a new performance version of the not yet as popular 500 could get him what he sought. As it would turn out, he was spot on.
FIAT 500-based ABARTH-Zagato GT Coupé
ABARTH & Co. Stable of Champions
So, as you make your way out to your beloved FIAT-ABARTH Punto or 500, I trust you will take what you've read here with you. Take your time to slide into the cockpit of your ride. Strap in and enjoy the process of placing your key into the ignition. Close your eyes. Turn said key & wait for the primer buzzing to stop and then, of course, start. Take a deep breath and listen intently at the sound of the exhaust Siren singing her song...
"Welcome to the Cult of the Scorpion."
2012 North American FIAT-ABARTH 500 Targa
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Ciao!
@
