Type of body: Hatchback (3 drs)
Number of cylinders: 4

Carlo Abarth was a man with nerve. An Austrian, a Scorpio by birth who made a trademark of it, literally, with that little scorpion on the badge. He took well-behaved Fiats and turned them into little terriers that grabbed the big dogs by the throat. The original 500 from the 1950s was one such project: a tiny car you could barely fit a shopping bag into, yet one that bit its way clean through the field on the circuit. Small, angry, and with a grin you just couldn't shake.

When Fiat launched the new 500 in 2007, anyone who loves cars even a little knew: an Abarth version is coming. And it came. And it was exactly what you'd hoped for. A 1.4 turbo, a rear diffuser, an exhaust that sounds like an angry wasp trapped in a tin can, and that little scorpion back in its rightful place. But there is one version that is just a touch more special than the rest.

Come back with me to 2009 for a moment. Ferrari and Abarth shared showroom space in certain markets at the time, two Italian icons under one roof. The Abarth 500 Ferrari Dealers Edition from 2009 is a very rare variant, built in a limited run of just 200 units for European Ferrari dealers. Rosso Corsa, of course, because in what other colour would you want such a thing. Special badges, references to Maranello, and under the bonnet tuned to 160 bhp. Where the ordinary Abarth 500 had to make do with 135 bhp, this one got the extra shot that makes the difference between fun and giggling.

So what makes a thing like this such a joy to drive? It's exactly what a hot hatch ought to be. Small enough to squeeze through anything, light enough to feel every one of those 160 bhp, and with a sound utterly out of proportion to its size. You don't drive it, you play with it. The 205/40 R17 Pirellis stick to the tarmac, the manual gearbox clicks the way an Italian manual gearbox ought to click, and everywhere you stop people look. Not because it's an expensive car, but because it's a fun car. And that's a compliment a Ferrari rarely gets.

Admittedly, by today's standards the interior space isn't impressive. Four seats on paper, but the rear bench is one for the shopping or for people you don't much like. That's no matter. You don't buy this thing to cram in the family. You buy it to tear along an empty B-road on a Sunday morning, when the world is still asleep, windows down and that little scorpion on your steering wheel. The leather upholstery, the Rosso Corsa paint, the whole picture just works.

This particular combination, factory history, the Ferrari connection and those 160 bhp, makes this more than just any Abarth. It's a curiosity for the collector who knows exactly what he's holding. Not many were made, and fewer still remain that drive around this complete and with this kind of provenance.

In short: a little red devil with a big name on the doorframe and a factory birth certificate to prove it.

Come on, be honest: who wouldn't want a Ferrari that fits in a scooter bay and sounds like an angry wasp?

Special features
• Fiat Abarth 500 Ferrari Dealers Edition from 2009
• Rare special edition, at the time available to order only through Ferrari dealers
• Tuned to 160 bhp (versus 135 bhp standard)
• Rosso Corsa, as it should be
• Italian born, Portuguese raised, now in the Netherlands
• Manual 1.4 16V turbo engine
• Pirelli tyres 205/40 R17
• Leather upholstery
• Front-wheel drive, coupé body
• VAT-margin car
• A curiosity for the true enthusiast

Between two espressos and a little scorpion,
Nick Slinger

STEP 2 IN SHOWROOM | HooG Selections

The Fiat Abarth 500 2009 is now in our showroom in Katwijk - € 32.450. The full presentation is complete: the cover is off and the car can be viewed right away.

At HooG Selections exclusively carefully selected classic vehicles, fully documented:
✔ Over 75 professional photos
✔ Fully scanned service history
✔ Official Carfax vehicle report
✔ Paint thickness report per body panel
✔ Complete original documentation

Visit our 6,000 m² showroom in Katwijk or view everything at:
www.hoogselections.nl