A special version of the 500 which has been created with input from Ferrari is stealing the limelight on the Abarth stand but it is the news that the Scorpion brand is likely to head stateside that has caused the most stir in Frankfurt.

The news that Fiat Group is now considering adding Abarth to the growing list of Italian products set to head to the North American market, which already includes the Fiat 500 and Alfa Romeo brand, was revealed by Abarth CEO Harald J Wester who said that he was "seriously thinking the 500 Abarth might be an opportunity for U.S. customers." As well as introducing Abarth at the 63rd Frankfurt IAA, Wester was having a busy show yesterday both in his further role as Chief Technology Officer of the Fiat Group and also as Maserati CEO where his duties at the German Motor Show on Tuesday included pulling the covers off the new GranCabrio, a brand-new canvas-roofed version of the GranTurismo coupé.

Fiat already has plans to bring the 500 model to the U.S., and adding the Abarth version to the Car of the year 2008 winner's future stateside model portfolio would be relatively easy as well as providing the range with a useful halo model to boost its credentials as it seeks to awaken interest on its arrival in the region. While Fiat has revealed this week that an announcement of its product plans for Chrysler Group and the U.S. have been shifted back until mid November after they had been expected later this month, the Fiat 500 is almost certain to be assembled at Chrysler's plant located at Toluca in Mexico.

The Abarth stand’s main protagonist this week is the brand-new Abarth 695 “Tributo Ferrari”, a special, limited and numbered series celebrating the Italian racing tradition, passion for performance, attention to detail and technical innovation that both brands express. Abarth and Ferrari are the two great names that have contributed, with conviction and dedication, to the legend of Italian racing that is known around the world.

The car on display in the halls of the Frankfurt IAA “races” on a platform coated with a special resin that evokes the atmosphere of the racetrack, the natural habitat of Abarth cars. After all, it is from the world of motor racing that Abarth takes the technology and values that it transfers to the production of its road-going cars and performance kits.

The same philosophy has led to the development of the other two cars on display at Frankfurt: the new Abarth Grande Punto “SuperSport” and the Abarth 500 “Assetto Corse”, the small supersport car designed for racetrack competitions, built directly by Abarth, and sold "race ready" to drivers via the “Abarth Racing” network that also provides technical assistance and transport services. The technical characteristics of the Abarth 500 “Assetto Corse” and the race formula itself have been carefully selected to facilitate participation in competitive racing at an extremely low cost.

Proof that the direction taken by Abarth is the right one comes from the statistics. These announce quite clearly that the brand is experiencing continuous growth. From 2008 to the present day, Abarth has sold over 15,000 cars, with 6,300 Abarth 500’s and 2,100 Grande Punto’s sold in 2009 alone, to say nothing of 2,500 performance kits, proving that one Abarth 500 in three is fitted with an SS kit. On top of these extraordinary sales figures, the number of dealers and official performance centres is also growing rapidly, improving distribution on existing markets and continuing expansion into strategic markets like Germany, France, the UK and Japan. The Abarth distribution network is already unique, boasting 120 showrooms, 132 official performance centres and 220 service centres in Europe. On top of this, a new level called “Abarth Racing” has been introduced into the Abarth performance network. Abarth Racing centres offer customers exclusive assistance via the “Racing Service” that provides a privileged entry to the world of Abarth motor sport.