When Fiat exited the North American market in the early 1980s, it seemed unlikely that the economical Italian brand would ever return. A shoddy reputation had been built over the years on poor reliability, questionable build quality and a penchant for premature rust. Though its cars were small, they carried an awful lot of baggage.
However, Sergio Marchionne, boss of then-recently-formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, calculated that the time was right to revisit the North American market in 2011. The U.S. was still reeling from the Great Recession, and with its modern 500, introduced in Europe in 2007, Fiat had a charismatic, fun-to-drive and, most importantly, inexpensive model that could sell in volume.
Back in the black
With a starting price of around $16k plus three years of free dealer service, the 500 2-door hatchback was a huge hit when it debuted here for 2012. With 2+2 seating and just a 91-inch wheelbase, it was embraced largely by college students and young adults just starting in their careers — in other words, those with no memory of Fiat’s past transgressions. The car was retro-cute, nimble and easy to both drive and park in crowded urban areas. It was also miserly with its fuel consumption, achieving 41 mpg on the highway. FCA sold an impressive 46,999 units to U.S. buyers in 2012.
Enthusiast response was more muted. The 500 only made 101 hp from its 1.4-liter inline-4, and though curb weight was under 2,500 pounds, performance was only adequate. The 0–60-mph dash took nearly 10 seconds for a 5-speed manual car (and even longer with the 6-speed automatic). That wasn’t much improved from when the 124 Spider Fiat first went on sale during 1967’s Summer of Love.
The ghost of Carlo
To the Italian-car cognoscenti, the name Abarth conjures visions of tiny cars with big hearts. Austrian-born Karl (“Carlo”) Abarth’s legacy was turning econobox Fiats into giant-killers. Abarth sold his eponymous brand to Fiat in 1971, where it became an in-house performance division. While some motorsports activity remained under the Abarth banner, by the 1980s, Abarth’s focus had shifted largely to road-car performance packages. That led to a number of hot hatches and other sporty economy cars through the early 2000s, none of which were sold here. But with Fiat’s return, Abarth followed right behind it.
The 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth stuck with a 1.4-liter displacement but added a Garrett turbocharger for a near-60% bump in output. With 160 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque, the little car was now cracking off 6.8-second 0–60 mph sprints — about the same as the Volkswagen GTI. Shorter, stiffer springs were wrapped around twin-tube Koni struts, control arms were strengthened, brake rotors were enlarged with red-painted calipers, and unique 16-inch alloy wheels were fitted. (Optional 17-inch wheels were popular.) Abarth-spec bumpers and side stripes turned the 500’s attitude from cute to mean, as did the pop-and-crackle performance exhaust. The Abarth’s base price was under $23k — thousands less than virtually all of its hot-hatch competitors. A 5-speed manual gearbox was the only available transmission at launch.
A 500C Abarth cabriolet arrived in 2013. It had a power-retractable fabric roof extending between its B- and C-pillars, rather than a true convertible top, and it could operate at speeds up to 60 mph. In 2015, a 6-speed automatic became available, with horsepower reduced to 157 and torque bumped to 183 lb-ft. An updated instrument panel and center console were also new. The following year brought a new color palette plus FCA’s Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system, while updated 16-inch wheels were issued for 2017. In August 2019, all Fiat 500s were discontinued for the North American market; a new electric 500e arrived in showrooms in 2024.
The more things change…
While these modern Fiat Abarths are arguably better built cars in many ways than their classic progenitors, there are still some issues with build quality — and also customer support. A cottage industry of tuners and specialists across the country are devoted to these cars, which is good, as anecdotal evidence suggests that the Fiat dealer network can still be difficult to work with.
Since Fiats are built to a price, interior squeaks and rattles, peeling exterior trim and wonky interior electronics can all cause irritation. As has always been the case, many Abarths were driven hard and maintained on a shoestring budget. Check for maintenance records, especially on higher-miles cars where you’d hope to see receipts for brakes, clutch, and regular oil and transmission fluid changes through the years. Additionally, leaks from both dried-out turbo plumbing lines and engine oil seals can take some effort to sort out. Softer performance tires can wear down to their cords in under 10,000 miles in hard-driven cars.
An Italian bargain?
Fiat 500 Abarths have always been affordable, and used examples are even more so today. They are also generally easy to find through a variety of sources; online auctions (and even your local Craigslist) can turn up several of these each month. So far in 2024, 18 Fiat 500 Abarths have shown up on Bring a Trailer alone. Pricing ranges from around $10k for higher-miles cars that show some wear, to just over $20k for cream puffs with a few factory options, such as larger wheels. Expect to pay as much as $12k–$15k for a great example with a bit of searching. Unique, soulful and undeniably Italian, the 500 Abarth is a fun runabout that has likely reached the bottom of its depreciation curve. Find a good one and drive it con brio. ♦