Fiat 500 Abarth Da Zero a Cento

Karl Abarth: one hundred years of tuning
“From 0 to 100”: a journey around a legend
The Abarth 500 “DA 0 A 100”
New collaboration agreements: Intel and Yamaha
Spec sheets, historical examples and current models

Karl Abarth: one hundred years of tuning
Karl Abarth was born on November 15, 100 years ago. Abarth was a sports car driver, constructor and tuner. But his great achievement was to make them accessible to everyone. One hundred years after his birth, these values remain intact in “his” creation, Abarth & C, but above all, the passion of so many fans of engines and of sports car, the fans of the Scorpion, continues.

This is why an exhibition has been prepared at Torino Esposizioni, which traces the important steps in Karl Abarth’s life, from motorcycle racing to track records, silencers and tuning kits, culminating ideally in today’s cars, which are on show in the final part of the display.

Karl Abarth was first and foremost an innovator, who made technology and experimentation the great strengths of his work; this is why we decided to prepare an exhibition that explores new forms of display. Visitors will be able to admire some of the most significant cars and objects in the history of Abarth and his brand, accompanied by audiovisual technologies and striking projections.

We have used key words such as innovation, technology, power and performance, which were valid for Abarth yesterday as they are today, both for its own products and for those developed with other prestigious brands. And with this in mind, three important new products will be presented on the inaugural evening of the exhibition. The first is the Abarth 500 “da 0 a 100”, a special, limited series created to celebrate Karl Abarth’s centenary. This will be followed by important novelties created in collaboration with prestigious partners: the FZ1 Abarth Assetto Corse Concept Bike developed with Yamaha and the Abarth Powerplay Extreme computer, which is powered by the new Intel® Core™ i7 Extreme processor, the most powerful microchip ever developed by Intel.

The “From 0 to 100” exhibition is one of the many programmes organised during the “Month of the Scorpion”, a calendar of events dedicated to Karl Abarth, who was born a century ago under this sign of the zodiac. The first of these events was an Open Day held on October 25 and 26, which involved the 49 dealers in the Abarth marketing network all over Italy. This gave the general public an opportunity to enter the world of the Scorpion themselves, trying the cars, discovering the tuning kits and admiring the clothing and accessories collections sold under the Abarth trademark. Thanks in part to this event, the Abarth Italian network was able to confirm the success of the latest models, passing the set target with over 750 registrations in October.

The “Month of the Scorpion” will reach its peak on November 16, when two large events will be held: an Abarth “happening” in Turin that will attract Scorpion fans, and an Open Day dedicated to the brand-new “esseesse” kit for the Abarth 500.

The first event will allow all “Abarthisti” to share their passion and to take a close look at new and historical models, the life story of the founder and also the Scorpion’s new home. The appointment is fixed for the morning of November 16 at Torino Esposizioni, where participants will be able to try their hand at a number of activities on board the brand new Abarth 500 and Abarth 500 “esseesse”. They will also be able to visit the “from 0 to 100” exhibition, and to admire the powerful Abarth 500 Assetto Corse and Abarth Grande Punto Rally Super 2000. But the most exciting moment will be the Route Show, a parade of Abarth 500s that will start from Torino Esposizioni and terminate at the Mirafiori plant in Turin. Participants will also be able to visit the new Abarth & C Spa premises, which draw together all the manufacturing, design and management functions of the entire company, as well as the Squadra Corse team.

On November 15 and 16, the Italian marketing network will be involved in an Open Day dedicated to the Abarth 500 “esseesse” kit. The “esseesse” kit is packed in the traditional elegant wooden box and it can be sold and installed exclusively by the Abarth official network of tuners, to guarantee the highest control and safety standards. With this kit, the 1.4 16v Turbo T-Jet engine achieves a maximum power output of 160 bhp (147 kW) at 5750 rpm and, in “Sport Mode”, a peak torque of 230 Nm at 3000 rpm. The result is truly exciting performance: a top speed of 211 km/h, and 0-100 km/h acceleration in just 7.4 seconds. Consistent with Abarth’s concept of performance tuning, the “esseesse” kit fits perforated, ventilated front disc brakes (diameter 284 mm x 22 mm), perforated rear disc brakes (diameter 240 mm x 11 mm), high performance front brake pads, specific springs set lower than those on the original car, Abarth “esseesse” 7” x 17” ET35 alloy wheels painted white or titanium colour, combined with Pirelli Pzero 205/40 ZR 17 tyres. The “esseesse” kit for the 500 Abarth is completed by the special air filter “powered by BMC”, four tyre pressure sensors, the “esseesse” logo on the engine cover and the tailgate, and a special, original key fob.

“From 0 to 100”: a journey around a legend

“From 0 to 100”: it was decided to title the exhibition of the one hundred years since the birth of Karl Abarth, which will be held in Torino Esposizioni from November 14 to December 14, 2008, with the expression which, more than any other, defines an engine’s performance.

The fundamental concept of the exhibition is to demonstrate how the values that typified Karl Abarth’s life are present in the company today, guiding its choices one hundred years after his birth. For this reason, the exhibition traces the important stages of Abarth’s life and work, illustrating the brand’s most important moments, curious facts, life in the workshop, racing and successes seen with a thread that links the Scorpion’s past, present and future with its imaginative founder. And pictures, facts, anecdotes and numbers that were part of Karl Abarth’s life are displayed on the large walls, using striking dynamic visual communications techniques.

It is a fascinating journey through stage settings, projections and technological installations that accompany the visitor in a crescendo of emotions. And together with Karl Abarth, the stars are the most representative cars in his life and his style, focusing in particular on those that have helped to create and maintain the legend of the brand over the years: the Abarth 205 Vignale berlinetta, Porsche 356 Carrera GTL Abarth, Fiat Abarth 1000 twin-shaft coupe GT “paperino”, Fiat Abarth 2400 coupe Allemano, Simca 1300 coupe GT, Abarth 1000 twin-shaft SE016 “cuneo”, Fiat Abarth 1000 saloon TCR “radial”, Abarth 695 Assetto Corsa and Lancia 037. The display also includes a Gilera Saturno motorcycle fitted with the famous Abarth silencer and two models that represent the Scorpion’s recent rebirth: an Abarth Grande Punto Rally Super 2000 and an Abarth 500 Assetto Corsa.

Immersed in a highly charged atmosphere, the visitor is conducted along a chronological itinerary where the salient moments of Karl Abarth’s adventure in the engine world become opportunities to reflect on Italian society in those years. Today, as it did in the past, the Abarth name sums up a philosophy of sporting life which has become a legend, synonymous with assertive cars, competition, passion and strong emotions. A whole world is growing up around the new Scorpion brand, which was revived in 2007 by Fiat Group Automobiles, focusing on a number of values that determined its good fortune in past decades. innovative design, the use of cutting-edge materials, attention to detail. At the basis of all this is a true passion for motoring, which does not overlook the human and technological heritage, or the professional pride of the thousands of people, technicians, blue-collar workers and managers who have worked in the plants, offices and race tracks over the years.

Below we describe the various chronological sections into which the exhibition celebrating Karl Abarth is divided, opened by an original work by sculptor Ugo Nespolo that was inspired by this centenary.

“From 0 to 100” – The work of Ugo Nespolo

“I wanted to (playfully) overturn Marinetti’s hyperbole of how much more beautiful a racing car is than the Winged Victory of Samothrace, adding that the relationship between the latter (the Nike of course) and a racing car is the same as that between Abarth and the Venus of Milo! Beauty, proportion and legend. It all fascinates me. Which is why I am happy to try my hand.” This is how Ugo Nespolo explained the work that stands at the entrance to the exhibition and how he was inspired.

The Thirties: invention, a spirit of competition and speed

He was born in Vienna on November 15, 1908, and he achieved almost unprecedented success in the world of motor racing, the fruit of absolute dedication to the engine world and to a truly prodigious talent, passion and taste for innovation.

Scooters, bicycles, motorcycles and sidecars: young Karl liked all types of vehicles. The important thing was being able to dismantle them, repair them or improve their performance. When he was just 11, he modified a scooter to race, and 9 years later he enjoyed his first success on a Motor Thun: by now his precocious passion for engines was mapping out his future path. Plus driving, of course, the giddiness of speed, and striving for competition. An aptitude for racing that was soon accompanied by his innate capacity for engineering: in 1930 he produced his first motorcycle with the Abarth name. Unfortunately, a serious accident during a race in Linz forced him to abandon motorcycling, but he did not lose the determination to push himself and his own limits, and he continued to race with sidecars, a vehicle that he made famous, thanks to exploits such as the challenge to the Orient Express train (obviously won by Abarth) in 1932. In 1939 a second serious accident finally forced him to give up racing.

The Forties: enterprise and team spirit

Abarth’s second life and the true legend now began. In 1945 he moved to Merano and became an Italian citizen in every way. The following year, with Ferdinand Porsche, he set up the Cisitalia racing team with Tazio Nuvolari.

In 1949, after the Cisitalia experience was concluded, Karl founded Abarth & C., with driver Guido Scagliarini. The first car built was a 204 A Roadstar, derived from a Fiat 1100, which immediately won the Italian 1100 sport championship and formula 2 championship. At the same time, Abarth had the brilliant idea of combining racing activities with attention to the general public, and he began to create his famous tuning kits for standard production cars, increasing their power, top speed and acceleration. The first “historical” product was the tuning kit for the gearbox control of the Topolino (1949). But his real success came with the silencers, which were to become a true icon of the “Abarth style” over the years. Thanks to the experience gained years earlier on motorcycles, the Abarth silencers became a cutting edge product, and not only for cars, as Gilera demonstrated when, in 1953, it adopted an Abarth silencer on its Gilera Saturno motorcycle.

The first prototypes had a pipe with a constant central section and lateral passages in fibreglass, eliminating all the diaphragms to contain the gas compression as much as possible. It was a simple but innovative system, which gave his products a clear advantage in terms of performance, and an unmistakable full, dull roar. In just a few years, Abarth & C achieved global dimensions: in 1962 it turned out 257,000 silencers with a staff of 375 people, with exports accounting for 65%.

Two elements of fundamental importance determined the success of Abarth components and kits: a clever advertising campaign and racing activities. Karl Abarth introduced marketing and communications techniques that are still valid today. In fact, to convince motorists to remove their standard silencer and install an Abarth pipe, he devised a sleek advertising campaign that focused on an elegant presentation of the product. The silencer was advertised in a revolutionary, new language in the leading papers, presented in an opaque black version with chrome-plated terminals, and offered at a price much higher than that of the competition (4,500 lire compared to a maximum of 2,000 lire). Abarth’s collaborators, who were originally sceptical of his strategy, had to revise their opinions: it was an immediate and extraordinary success. The first 50 units were built for the Fiat “Topolino”.

The Fifties: racing and industrial records

The brand’s growth in the minds of motoring enthusiasts was constant and relentless, and became almost imperious as time passed; it reached its peak in the late Fifties and all through the Sixties. Karl Abarth built up the myth of the “scorpion” brand with absolute dedication and almost frenetic activity, in which we can see the signs of a genius. The stages of this continuous exploit, this almost unparalleled success story, continued at a rate that still leaves us speechless. A long march punctuated by records, triumphs and epoch-making inspiration that changed people’s approach to the sports car. The Abarth 750 GT was launched in 1955, and the Fiat Abarth 750 with a body by Bertone was presented in 1956, an extraordinary car that set a number of endurance and speed records that same year: on June 18, on the Monza circuit, it broke the 24-hour record, covering 3,743 km at an average speed of 155 km/h. This was followed by numerous other records set on the same circuit in Lombardy between June 27 and 29: records for 5,000 and 10,000 km, 5,000 miles and even 48 and 72 hours. This brought international success, and the influential German magazine “Auto Motor und Sport” dedicated the cover of issue no. 15 of July 21, 1956 to the Abarth 750. Two different versions of the same car appeared with a Zagato body, the Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato (1956) and the Fiat Abarth 750 GT Zagato (1956). On May 11 and 12, 1957, there were no fewer than 20 cars from the “scorpion” in the 750 class at the start of the 24th Mille Miglia race, and 16 crossed the finish. The “roar” of this extraordinary car was even heard in the United States: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr, son of the US President, rushed to Italy to sign an exclusive agreement with Karl Abarth to distribute these cars.

In 1958 Abarth achieved a true masterpiece on the new Fiat 500, completely transforming the small run-about, bringing out all its potential. That same year, the partnership with Fiat was strengthened, and Fiat undertook to reward Abarth with cash prizes on the basis of the number of victories and records it was able to achieve. The result was to boost the amazing number of records and achievements: 10 world records, 133 international records, more than 10,000 victories on the race track.

The Sixties and Seventies: the winning spirit of the Scorpion
The Sixties were Abarth’s Golden Age. The “Abarth” name was synonymous with “speed”, “courage”, “performance” and “tuning”. And the legend continued to grow, even entering the everyday language: in a cafe people no longer ordered an “espresso coffee” but an “Abarth coffee”. This alone gives an idea of how the brand had become synonymous with speed. And the list of cars that wrote the name of Abarth in motoring history was very long: the Abarth 850 TC, Porsche 356 Carrera GTL Abarth and Fiat 1000 twin-shaft coupe GT “Paperino” appeared in 1961, extraordinary cars that made their names on the international circuits. So did the Fiat Abarth 2400 coupe Allemano (1963), the Abarth Simca 1300 coupe GT (1964), Abarth 695 SS Assetto Corsa (1966), Fiat Abarth 1000 saloon TCR “radial” (1969) and Abarth 1000 twin-shaft SE016 “cuneo” (1969). All these cars are on display at the “From 0 to 100” exhibition.

In 1965 Karl Abarth wanted to set a record himself. On October 20 of that year he set the acceleration record over a quarter of a mile and over 500 metres on the Monza circuit with a 105 bhp Fiat Abarth “1000 Monoposto Record” Class G, while the following day he set the same records for higher classes in a 2000 bhp class E single-seater racing car. Once again, an anecdote tells us a great deal about the man’s tenacity: in order to squeeze himself into the tiny cabins and drive his cars to victory, he had to lose 30 kg, at the age of 57.

In 1971 Abarth was absorbed into Fiat Auto, and the last car in which the brand’s founder played an active part was the A112 Abarth. However the story continued into the Eighties with famous cars like the Lancia Rally 037, Lancia Delta S4 Coupé Gr.B, the Fiat 131 Abarth and Ritmo Abarth. Karl Abarth himself had died on October 24, 1979, under his own birth sign: Scorpio, the scorpion.
2007: Abarth returns, a glorious past and winning projects

A glorious past that becomes the present, a winning passion yesterday and today: this is the concept behind the project to revive the Abarth brand launched by Fiat Group Automobiles in 2007. Abarth has always been synonymous with assertive cars, competition, passion and strong emotions, and it now returns with a new range that will delight all racing car enthusiasts. The Abarth Grande Punto (2007) and Abarth 500 (2008) were created for them, together with performance kits for the two models, and the Abarth Grande Punto Rally Super 2000 and Abarth 500 Assetto Corse racing versions (the latter two models are on display at the “From 0 to 100” exhibition.

The Abarth 500 “DA 0 A 100”

To mark Karl Abarth’s centenary, the brand has brought out a Limited Edition of the Abarth 500, known as the “DA 0 A 100”; a total of 101 will be manufactured.

The Abarth 500 “DA 0 A 100” is a tribute to the founder’s passion, and a clear reference to his life, starting from the specific silencer and variable counter-pressure exhaust system, harking back to one of the products that made the Abarth name famous all over the world. The hide colour leather upholstery with silver embroidery on the new special series also recalls Abarth cars of the past. And the mouldings on the side pillars are a tribute to one of Karl Abarth’s best known customisations.

This particular version is equipped with a powerful 1.4 Turbo T-Jet engine that delivers 160 bhp (118 kW) at 5750 rpm, and a peak torque of 230 Nm at 3000 rpm. Thanks also to the IHI RHF3 fixed geometry turboblower, performance is really exciting: the top speed is 211 km/h.

The performance has been raised even higher by adopting different gear ratios: the car reaches 100 km/h from a standing start in just 7.3 seconds. Pick-up is really astonishing: from 40 to 100 km/h in 4th in 8.5 seconds, improving on the performance of the Esseesse version by one second. What is more, perforated disc brakes front and rear, high performance front brake pads, a special air filter “powered by BMC”, special low springs and 17” alloy wheels – with chrome-plated hub covers and Scorpion logo in relief – complete with Pirelli Pzero Nero 205/40 R16 ZR 17 tyres make the 500 Abarth “DA 0 A 100” unique.

On the outside, in addition to the silencer with 4 terminals that identify the special exhaust pipe with variable counter-pressure, the car stands out for its Nuvolari Grey bodywork, which is made even sportier by the Abarth stripe on the sides, with a tone-on-tone effect. The identification badges on the pillar are also chrome-plated, like the wing mirror cases.

The same sporty imprint is evident inside, in the leather seats with their hide colour seat and silver stitching. The thumb-rests on the steering wheel (the centre is decorated with the Italian flag) are also covered with hide coloured leather, while the gear lever knob, the kick plate branded “da 0 a 100” and the special “da 0 a 100” plate with the number of the car are all aluminium. The same “da 0 a 100” branding can be found on the fuel tank cover, the ignition key fob and the car cover.

Such exclusive styling is balanced by a lavish array of standard equipment: for example, in the safety field, the car is fitted with 7 airbags, foglights, ABS complete with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) system, ESP (Electronic Stability Program) with ASR (Anti Slip Regulation) and a Hill Holder, as well as the brand new Torque Transfer Control. In the field of well-being on board, the 500 Abarth “DA 0 A 100” knows no rivals, and this is underlined by the automatic climate system, the radio with CD and MP3 player, the sophisticated Hi-Fi Sound System Interscope and the Blue&Me Map satellite navigator (a specific Abarth version). The equipment is completed by electric front windows and wing mirrors, and height-adjustable steering wheel and seats.

New collaboration agreements: Intel and Yamaha

“Abarth Powerplay Extreme” desktop

The collaboration between Abarth and Intel was begun with the aim of developing innovative products and devices, based on original concepts and state-of-the-art technology.

The first result of the partnership, which was made possible by the support of RTR Sports Marketing, a consultancy agency that specialises in sports marketing, is the Abarth Powerplay Extreme personal computer, a high performance desktop powered by the new Intel® Core™ i7 Extreme processor, the most powerful microchip ever produced by Intel.

It is an “extreme” product, destined to a very demanding public, which Intel has decided to launch in Europe, co-branded with Abarth, and the “from 0 to 100” exhibition was chosen as the setting for its world preview.

The Abarth Powerplay Extreme PC, produced by Brain Technology Spa, a leading Italian company in the design, manufacture and distribution of advanced tailor-made IT solutions, has features that reflect the values of the Abarth brand: it is compact and fast with an innovative design and, thanks to the latest generation Intel® Core™ i7 Extreme processor, it slots in at the top of the market in terms of performance.

The decision to celebrate the collaboration between the two brands with the launch of a product designed for videogamers emerged from the realisation that this market segment is a rigorous test bench for personal computers. Videogamers are some of the most demanding users, able to assess a computer’s real performance and to push it to its highest limits.

Abarth and Intel intend to present the first fruit of their partnership all over Europe. The Abarth Powerplay Extreme will be the protagonist of the Intel Friday Night Game, the videogame championship recognised by the Electronic Sports League, in which the best videogamers and teams from over 30 countries compete. All through November the new desktop will be at the centre of initiatives and activities linked to the videogame world.

The Yamaha FZ1 Abarth Assetto Corse Concept Bike

Modifying material with the force of passion. This philosophy, which is close to the Yamaha and Scorpion brands, has inspired the creation of a unique Concept Bike, on which ideas of exclusiveness and beauty add value to the standard production.

The FZ1 is the most powerful “naked” bike on the market, thanks to the 150 bhp of its engine derived from the supersporty R1; it has been embellished by carbon, aluminium and titanium components, ultra-adjustable suspension, monobloc brake callipers and daisy discs. Thanks to materials and technical solutions that have been experimented on circuits all over the world, the FZ1 Abarth Assetto Corse takes the riding experience to a higher level.

The FZ1 Abarth Assetto Corso is distinguished by the classic Abarth livery which combines the Scorpion and Yamaha’s three tuning-fork logo to create a unique, exclusive model, and a new stylistic and technological benchmark.