Cars

The 500 Abarth is a sporty addition to Fiat’s successful reboot of the classic Fiat 500. Building on the successful base model, the Abarth features significant power increases, suspension upgrades, and nicer interior appointments.

This nice little Fiat conversion is but one of several designs by Giovanni Vernagallo of Torino, Italy. Vernagallo’s company, Carrozzeria Holiday, takes cars such as the Fiat 500 and Punto, Citroen 2CV, Saxo, and AX, and Renault Twingo, among others, and transforms them into beach cars, cabrios, or pickups.

In 1936 Fiat introduced the 500, or “Topolino” as a small car for the masses of Italy. The car seen here is a “C” model, and it is basically a station wagon model without windows.

One year after the introduction of the Fiat 600, another version was introduced–possibly the first minivan–the Multipla (which means “all service”). This vehicle had three rows of seats for a total capacity of six people, the two rear pairs of seats could be folded into the floor, leaving a large flat loading area. 

When it was time to replace the Fiat 500, many engine and chassis configurations were designed, built, and tested.  The layout for the 600 was chosen for a simple reason –low manufacturing costs.

Following the introduction of the 850 Sedan in 1964, Fiat debuted the 850 Spider two-seater convertible in 1965 to compete with the MG Midget and Austin-Healey Sprite. While the Sedan and Coupe were styled and built in-house by Fiat, the Spider was designed and built by Fiat’s frequent stylist and carrozzeria (coachbuilder) Bertone.

Carlo (Karl) Abarth selected the scorpion emblem to represent his high-performing, powerfully tuned, sports cars. Abarth vehicles were small and agile, dangerously fast and did exceptionally well in competitive racing.