On the occasion of the launch of Abarth 595 Scorpioneoro, Luca Napolitano, Head of EMEA Fiat & Abarth, spoke to Skipper OnDeck about the passion of the Scorpion!
What is Abarth for you?
When I was assigned Abarth, I was not aware of the passion behind that budge. It was only after working month after month with the team, the clubs and the members of our community, that I discovered the meaning of Abarth. A brand that is perceived as better than average in terms of fun to drive, sportiness and power; a brand which gives satisfaction to people who want to have fun.It’s also true thatit is better than average in terms of coolness and distinctive style. We really have short of a double personality. Our customers drive the car to its limits and look at performance, but now they are also looking at style, colour, materials, even the shape of the cars. We are 0-100. We always develop products capable of an outstanding performance in this area.
…and boast more than 70 years of history. 595 Scorpioneoro is the continuation of the legendary Targa Oro. How important is this connection between the past, the heritage and the present?
We have 3 peculiar characteristics: the community and our passionate followers around the world, racing,and, most importantly, our history. We have Carlo Abarth as short of apoint of reference. Sometimes when we are at a crossroads, we ask ourselves: “what would he do in this situation?” Our 70-year history is not only about developing products; it’s 70 years of love for racing; 70 years of passion.
Do you feel that Abarthcars are collectors’ cars?
100%. It’s a car you launch and then it immediately sells out, because there are people waiting for these cars. There are people who love the brand and this is something incredible.
Abarth had quite an increase in sales in 2018 (36.5%) and continues its successful course. Do you have the golden touch that has helped the brand evolve and excel?
I am very proud of the results of Abarth. In 2013, Abarth sold 7,000 cars and in 2018, it sold 24,000. We are still a small brand but obviously this kind of performance is something that you can’t find easily in the market. Although 2020 is tough on everyone, we increased our market shareand improved the sales mix of lower and higher range cars.This clearly gives an idea of how much customers like Abarth products. Spirits are high within the company and that’s always a good start when you want to look to the future with optimism.
