An interesting atricle from motortrader.com. Fiat have said that the next wave of Abarth dealers do not have to be existing Fiat dealers. I’m very happy to hear that.. It great to seperate the brand even further from Fiat.
Car dealers looking to represent the Abarth brand will not necessarily need to hold another Fiat Group franchise.
The relaunched Fiat performance arm is looking to increase its current 10 outlets in the UK to 13 by the end of the year, and eventually aims to have between 15 and 20 sites.
According to Abarth head of brand Ivan Gibson, these could be alongside Fiat or Alfa Romeo centres, or bespoke units dealing only in Abarth.
Speaking to Motor Trader at the launch of the Grande Punto Abarth, Gibson said the brand was a completely separate business from the rest of Fiat, with its own factory in Turin. “We are not tied to, supported by or subsidised by Fiat – we are 100 per cent on the Abarth payroll,” he said.
The existing 10 Abarth outlets are located within Fiat dealerships but Gibson emphasised that finding dealers with the right attitude to the brand was the key.
“We need to see passion and enthusiasm for Abarth – some dealers can wave around large chequebooks, but that’s not what it’s about,” he said.
Performance upgrades of cars’ engines and chassis are rated as important as sales and servicing. All dealers will offer the upgrade services.
“These cars are very different to the norm with a lot of work going into them, they are not just badge-engineering,” said Gibson.
The Grande Punto Abarth will be followed early next year by the Abarth version of the 500 supermini.
Gibson anticipates selling 800 Grande Puntos in a full year, and 1,500 500s.
