0 Comments | Herald Express; Torquay (UK), Jul 29, 2010
A HISTORIC, once revered name has reappeared in the Fiat stable – - Abarth is back — and out to delight driving enthusiasts once again, writes Dave Moss.
In the 50s and 60s its Scorpion badge was recognised across Europe as the brand behind faster Fiats, with a reputation built on motorsport success, beautifully engineered tuning accessories — and specially packaged mainstream cars with a real sporting edge.
Twenty years on from the last car to carry the proud Abarth badge, the Grande Punto Abarth, launched in 2008, restarted the brand’s long and distinguished story.
As customers sought out the cars, Abarth’s UK boss, Ivan Gibson, was quickly convinced plenty of enthusiastic drivers were still out there — yearning for the involving driving experience which has long been the marque’s cornerstone.
“With just two models offered so far, we’ve been delighted with the response,” he says. “The last Grande Punto Abarth sold out earlier this year — and we’re currently selling every 500 Abarth we can get.” He’s hopeful around 1,500 of the retrostylish 500 Abarth and its new open-top 500C relation will take to British roads this year, plus a thousand examples of the equally new Punto Evo Abarth.
In a market of around two million cars, these are modest numbers – - until Mr Gibson reveals rarity is all part of the plan.
There are currently just 19 dealerships across Britain, and his long term expectation is a maximum of 30. “The factory is comfortable with that number of right hand drive cars,” he says. “We’re having to manage waiting times. Germany was expected to be the best market outside Italy — but so far it has been us.”
Quizzed about who’s buying these indisputably quite specialist cars, Mr Gibson freely admits a 90 per cent male bias — so far
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