Abarth

Abarth was founded in 1949 by Karl Abarth, a former motorcycle racer who achieved numerous victories and even manufactured his own motorcycles. His professional racing career came to an end due to several sports accidents, but this did not deter him from staying in the world of competition. The Abarth company was established to manufacture its own racing cars. To achieve this, it secured funding by producing upgrade kits for production cars and supplying bodywork for Ferrari, much like other well-known companies such as Scaglietti, Zagato, or Pininfarina. Abarth also specialized in the sale of exhaust systems, producing up to 3.5 million units for over 300 models between 1949 and 1971.

In addition to Ferrari, Abarth has collaborated with other renowned manufacturers throughout its history, including Porsche, Simca, or Fiat. Fiat, in particular, acquired the company founded by Karl in 1971, after facing severe financial challenges despite the numerous successes and trophies won in competition. The competition department was taken over by Enzo Osella, continuing the legacy of Sports Cars and eventually venturing into the Formula 1 world a few years later.