New FIAT 500 "Abarth"

Never call this an Abarth...

Recently we were informed by our Italian friends that a new Italian company was to be incorporated (again) under the name Abarth... what a news for us – Abarth believers! After quite some Sherlock work – no professional campaign at all was launched in Belgium – we acknowledged the name of the importer. Of course we were ‘on the edge’ and ordered ‘the-new-Abarth’.

But how blinded can a fool be … the delivered plastic computer on wheels has nothing to do with the real Abarth … it is imported as a FIAT … the only reminder of the once glorious Abarth era was just a name, a sticker with ‘Abarth’, glued on the back to increase sale. Also the finishing touches were FIAT made : after the first car wash, we lost half of the Abarth sticker.

Of course we called the dealer who answered, bravely, that we could order a new sticker... against payment. It felt like the word ‘after sale service’ or ‘guarantee’ had never been translated into Italian. After some air-blowing we were referred to the mysterious company Fiat-Abarth with the message to hope (or pray) for resurrection (or a compensation). They took no responsibility … it looked like the car was directly purchased from a bank.

Of course, Scuderia La Fortuna called straight to Luca, but again it appeared that a company balancing on the edge had a management with no answers and no solutions.

We felt moralised : once, but never again. No more bad working plastic computer on wheels, just the ever lasting real Abarths!

But lets end with a positive note : for a FIAT it’s quite a fast experience.