Carlo Abarth was born on 15 November 1908. His astrological sign? Scorpio. And so it was that a scorpion on a yellow-and-red shield became the symbol of Abarth, producer of legendary cars that have made an indelible contribution to the history of motoring.

November is a special month for ‘Abarthisti’ all over the world: the 15th is the anniversary of the birth of Carlo Abarth, the founding father of the brand. In the days preceding and following this special day, the Turin-based car maker has decided to celebrate the values that inspired Carlo and which are the common denominator of The Scorpionship, the big family of Abarth enthusiasts.

Performance, craftsmanship and technical upgrade: these are the principles that have linked generations of Abarth aficionados for 68 years.

It all started on the outskirts of Vienna, the place where Carlo Abarth was born and lived before moving with his father to Merano, in Italy, to escape the war. 

Even before he was 11 years old, young Carlo had the ingenuity to wrap a leather belt around the wooden wheel of his scooter to increase its speed and defeat the bigger kids in neighbourhood challenges. 

From that moment on, performance tuning was engrained in Carlo Abarth's DNA and led him to strive towards new challenges and new records.

He spent his entire life dedicated to engines and racing, starting out as a racing car and motorcycle driver, without winning any events, before co-founding Abarth & C. with Guido Scagliarini in 1949.

A precise philosophy informs the design of each model and is also translated onto the track, in the form of manoeuvrability, performance and power condensed into a small and mean car, just like a scorpion.

It is a philosophy that has been preserved intact to this day.

The Abarth brand still upholds the same core values and remains synonymous with performance, driving pleasure and sportsmanship.

And so the story of Carlo Abarth continues, with his scorpion brand facing new challenges, creating unique cars and giving a thrilling ride to anyone who is lucky enough to drive one. 

November is a month for celebrating not just one man’s birthday, but a sense of belonging shared by millions of fans who have turned driving into a lifestyle, thanks to the ideas of a genius who revolutionised motoring.

Happy birthday Carlo! Long live the scorpion brand!