The inauguration of the new site got underway on 13th and 14th October under the direction of Luca De Meo (above) who has retained responsibility for Abarth despite moving on from the position of Fiat brand CEO.

This month Abarth has unveiled its flagship 'Officine Abarth' complex in Turin, the first of 32 concessionaires and outlets which will be spread out across Italy, as the global roll-out of the newly reborn 'Scorpion' brand gets underway. The inauguration of the new site got underway on 13th and 14th October under the direction of Luca De Meo who has retained responsibility for Abarth despite moving on from the position of Fiat brand CEO.

The first product in the showrooms is the Grande Punto Abarth 1.4 with 155 bhp, which retails for 17,800 euros. Assembled by the factory, this sports hatchback has an impressive top speed of 208 km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 8.2 seconds. Next year it will be joined in the range by a more powerful version, the 'Essesse', which was preview that the Frankfurt IAA last month. Alongside the sporty cars, the new concessionaires will sell a wide range of performance enhancement products, accessories, merchandising and Abarth racing materials.

The new concessionaires' showrooms themselves will recreate the famous Abarth spirit, capturing historic details right down the a recollection of the desk that Carlo Abarth worked from as he turned the eponymous brand into a globally known high performance brand name. The showrooms will be around 200 m2 in size. Inside the concessionaires reflect the colours of Abarth: red and white, and make use of Thai wood and finely polished steel features, which, outside, include a large steel 'Scorpion' logo that clearly identifies the brand's outlets.

The Italian outlets will be By the end of 2007 Abarth expect to appoint 3 concessionaires, 40 bodyshops and 100 workshops. Next year over 60 concessionaires will be opened across 12 European countries and Japan.