Abarth cars

Abarth used cars

You may think of an Abarth for sale as being the brand that piggybacks off Fiat, but it’s so much more than that.  

What you’re getting is the financial and engineering backing of Stellantis but with more aggressive styling and much more performance. 

History of Abarth

Abarth was founded in Bologna, Italy in 1949, and from day one had a scorpion sitting proudly on its badge because the brand represents grit, strength and power. 

After a few years of making sports cars, in 1952 Abarth developed a relationship with Fiat that meant it could take existing and established Fiat models and tune them, making them much more powerful and more aggressive-looking. 

That relationship remains to this day, with Abarth taking Fiat 500s and 124 Spiders and giving them more power, louder exhausts, tuned suspension and sportier styling. 

Standout Abarth features

Despite its rugged race car nature, these cars do get creature comforts such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, speakers and parking sensors.  

Opt for the all-electric 500e and you even get a loud sports exhaust that’s played from speakers placed underneath the car.  

One thing that you need to take care of when building a race car for the road is making it safe, and Abarth is great in this department thanks to help from Fiat.  

You also get safety features such as airbags, parking assist features and ISOFIX child seat points.  

Reliability is strong too, because even before Abarth gets its hands on one, Fiat has been through and made sure it’s got an efficient engine and overall solid build quality – and this testing has only become more rigorous since Stellantis bought the company in 2021. 

Driving a Abarth

The 595 and 695 both receive a handful of upgrades over the standard Fiat 500 on which they’re based.  

Firstly, you get tuned suspension that makes for a firmer, more sportscar-like feel.  

You also get more horsepower, different wheels, a new interior with racing bucket seats and a loud exhaust so your neighbours will definitely know when you’ve arrived home. 

If you fancy a top-down version, then the Abarth 124 Spider is one to consider. Based on the Fiat 124 Spider and therefore the Mazda MX-5's platform, you know you’re getting a fine driving machine from the get-go, which is then tweaked by Abarth. 

You should consider buying a used Abarth if you’re in the market for a small, sporty hot hatch that can make your commute (or weekend drive) a bit more enjoyable, and if you don’t mind compromising on practicality. 

Popular used Abarth cars

There aren’t many used Abarth cars for sale, which makes the buying decision that much easier.  

Whether you opt for the Fiat 500 versions or the two-seater sports car, you’re getting a capable performance car at a fraction of the cost.