Abarth Logo PNG
The Abarth emblem is divided into two equal parts. The emblem demonstrates readiness for hot racing and, at the same time, a desire for easy, pleasant travel. The guarantee of safety and reliability unites the two areas of the automotive industry.
Abarth: Brand overview
Abarth is an Italian sports and road car brand whose production division is now owned by Stellantis. It was established in 1949 and has its headquarters in Turin, Italy. The brand’s founder is Carlo Abarth.
When, in 1947, Carlo Abart, the sports director of the racing team of the Cisitalia factory, realized that the company was about to collapse, he was seriously concerned about its fate. In 1948, the company closed, and its founder, Piero Dusio, moved to Argentina. Then Carlo secured Armando Scagliarini’s financial support and transferred all the assets of the bankrupt factory to himself. As a result, in the spring of 1949, a new structure, Abarth & C, emerged on its basis. Its location was Bologna, but in time, the head office was moved to Turin (in 1951).
After Cisitalia’s liquidation, the brand received a series of 204 sports cars, one single car, D46, and various accessories. All cars were immediately renamed and raced under a different name. Most of the newest models were entered for the races. Famous racers Guido Scagliarini, Franco Cortese, Piero Taruffi, and Tazio Nuvolari competed in them. The last of them, in April 1950, won the Palermo-Monte Pellegrino Cup on the Abarth 204 A.
In addition to racing, the company produced and sold car parts and accessories for Cisitalia, Lancia, Simca, and Fiat. After moving its headquarters to Turin, Abarth partnered with Fiat to create the Abarth 1500 Biposto series based on the Fiat 1500. In the 1960s, the company successfully produced sports cars in the 850-2000cc class. Its main competitors were Porsche and Ferrari.
Meaning and History
Since the company specialized in assembling racing cars, it paid great attention to its image. From the beginning, there was a formidable scorpion painting on the hood of a bright red-yellow background. Such a symbol refers not to the real arthropod but to the zodiac – the sign under which Carlo Abarth was born. Throughout the brand’s existence, the emblem has never changed. All logos have only minor adjustments beyond the basic concept.
What is Abarth?
Abarth & C.S.p.A. is a company named after Carlo Abarth and created in 1949 for racing. Now, it produces sports and road cars, being one of the divisions of FCA Italy S.p.A. Its main owner is the Dutch corporation Stellantis N.V. The headquarters is located in the Italian city of Turin.
1949 – 1954
The debut version of the logo contained a single image of a scorpion. It was as close to a realistic image and contained many physiological details. Everything was carefully drawn, including the exact structure of the small lateral legs, the notches on the claws, and the number of segments on the tail. This was necessary to intimidate opponents, as befits a sports team. The color palette was restrained – black and several shades of gray. In the logo, there was also red: it emphasized the company name and its location. The inscription was located under the image. In addition, the emblem’s author was Carlo Abarth himself, an automobile designer.
1954 – 1961
To deepen the emotional impact and emphasize the brand’s competitive spirit, the developer placed the scorpion on a sculptural shield in bright colors. The yellow and red colors provided ample adrenaline, charging some with excitement and others with fear. A diagonal line separated the differently colored areas, and the arthropod symbol was on their background. At the same time, the shield resembled a chevron, with the company name set in a separate field within an arch. From the outside, the logo had a double contour with blue and yellow lines.
1955 – 1958
Restraint and naturalness – these are the main principles to which the Abarth logo of this period was subordinated. For this purpose, the designers revised the scorpion image and “put” it together. That is, they drew it as a whole, connecting disparate fragments. In addition, the artists added realism to it with the help of artistic accents:
- Deep shadows
- Light highlights the shell
- The harmonious combination of dark and light blue colors
They kept the shape of the heraldic shield but changed the style of the letters. The result was a figural inscription in Old English script. Glyphs with sharp spikes, diagonal cuts, and triangular protrusions blended well with the poisonous shell arthropod. The colors were pastel.
1958 – 1969
After the success of the sports cars, the company’s owner decided to give the emblem greater originality by abandoning the scorpion’s detailing. To do this, he painted the background under the car brand in blue and the letters themselves in yellow. Another change affected the image’s artistic style, leaving aggression and detailing behind, giving way to schematic and abstract. The artist has thinned the lateral legs, reduced the number of tail segments, and increased the claws. On the edge of the chevron, he drew a dark blue border, and on the scorpion’s body, white highlights.
1969 – 2007
The blue color in the emblem of those years was no longer there; it was replaced by purple and black. The first served as a background for the brand name; the second represented the scorpion. The inscription became large and white. It was separated from the main space by a red wavy line. The yellow color acquired a pastel shade. The lateral branches of the arthropod were completely shortened. The yellow color appeared along the dark border. The scorpion was depicted in a cubist style.
2007 – today
Designers filled the modern version of the logo with the spirit of patriotism, using the colors of the Italian flag. As a result, the dividing line between the brand name and the scorpion is now colored green, white, and red. They also widened the chevron to maximize its resemblance to a shield. The upper field with the word “Abarth” was leveled, and the inscription was arc-shaped. As a result, the letters differ in height: the central ones are long, and the side letters are short. The logo’s edging is created under the metal frame, with shadows and highlights. The authors placed the scorpion exactly on the diagonal strip, visually dividing it into two parts. The head and claws are in the yellow zone, and the body, legs, and tail are in the red.
Font and Colors
At the beginning of the reorganization of the Cisitalia brand into Abarth, its new owner chose the image of a scorpion, his zodiac sign, for the logo. Since then, this arthropod has always been present in the logo; only its drawing style has changed.
The lettering is in a font similar to Microgramma D Bold Extended. Aldo Novarese and Alessandro Butti created this font. The closest free analog is the typeface Grammara Normal, created by designer Thomas E. Harvey.
The logo’s color scheme is standard, consisting of red, yellow, white, and black, with periods of blue, purple, and green.
FAQ
What does the Abarth emblem mean?
The Abarth emblem has prominently featured the Scorpion since its creation seven decades ago. This is not only because the company’s founder, Carlo Abarth, was born under the zodiac sign of Scorpio. Scorpio means perseverance, power, and resilience.
Is Abarth the same as Fiat?
Abarth is Fiat’s high-performance division, featuring specialized tuning and luxury. Currently, only certain Fiat models have Abarth trim.
Is Fiat now an Abarth?
Following the integration of Fiat into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the parent company of Abarth was named FCA Italy S.p.A. in 2015.
Is the Abarth 500 the same as the Fiat 500?
The Abarth version of the Fiat 500 features higher specifications, visual enhancements, and additional features, which is why it is more expensive than the standard Fiat 500.
What does the word Abarth mean?
Founded by Italian-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949, Abarth & C. S.p.A. is an Italian automobile company specializing in the production of racing and road cars.