Why Does Abarth Have A Scorpion For Its Logo?

Abarth is one of the most legendary names in European motorsport history.

Originally founded by Carlo Abarth in 1949, Abarth produced its own racing vehicles that saw success in Europe, as well as performance variants of other vehicles such as the 595 Abarth

Abarth was sold to Fiat in the 1970s, and became the Fiat Group’s racing department (similar to Nissan’s NISMO or Toyota’s TRD).

Over time, Abarth went from being a producer of highly modified vehicles to something more akin to a trim level. For example, one of the editors here at Garage Dreams owns a Fiat Stilo Abarth (you can read our buyer’s guide and review here if you are interested). This is not a true Abarth; rather some Abarth badging has been applied to denote the highest trim/spec level.

However, in 2007 Abarth was brought back as a separate but “controlled” company under Fiat, most famously releasing the 500 Abarth, which we reckon is one of the coolest hot hatches ever made.

The logo of Abarth has always been the Scorpion:

But why does Abarth have a scorpion as its logo/symbol?

The answer is actually a very simple one.

When Carlo Abarth founded Abarth in 1949, he choose his star sign (Scorpio) as the logo.

This scorpion logo has stuck ever since – through the ups and downs of Abarth’s storied history.

We hope you enjoyed this edition of Car Facts – short, sharp articles that answer a single motoring question. You can check out our other Car Facts here, or browse our buyer’s guides and reviews for more detailed contenty