Tag Archives: Abarth

News

Arnaud Belloni Named CEO of FIAT, Abarth and Lancia

FIAT is entering a new chapter under Stellantis with a major leadership change designed to strengthen the Italian brand’s global ambitions. Effective September 1, 2026, Arnaud Belloni has been appointed CEO of FIAT, Abarth and Lancia, while also taking on the role of Chief Marketing Officer for Europe.

The appointment forms part of Stellantis’ broader organizational strategy following the company’s Investor Day on May 21 and its FaSTLAne 2030 strategic plan. Under the new structure, FIAT will play an increasingly important role in Stellantis’ global operations as one of the automaker’s four Global Brands.

Belloni will report to Emanuele Cappellano, Stellantis Chief Operating Officer for Enlarged Europe, and will be responsible for strengthening the connection between brand strategy, product development and marketing across FIAT, Abarth and Lancia.

Arnaud Belloni Returns to Stellantis

Belloni is returning to Stellantis with more than three decades of automotive industry experience and a strong background in global marketing and brand development.

Before his latest appointment, Belloni spent 16 years with Stellantis and its predecessor companies, where he held senior marketing positions involving several Italian and French automotive brands. He subsequently joined Renault Group in 2020, becoming Global Chief Marketing Officer in November of that year.

In May 2023, Belloni expanded his responsibilities at Renault Group by becoming Chief Branding Officer for all of the company’s brands.

His return to Stellantis puts a seasoned marketing executive at the center of the company’s plans to reposition and expand some of its best-known European automotive brands.

“We are delighted to welcome Arnaud back to Stellantis. His global perspective, creative leadership and deep knowledge of our brands will be invaluable assets, as we strengthen marketing across Europe and shape the next chapter for FIAT, Abarth and Lancia,” said Emanuele Cappello, Chief Operating Officer for Enlarged Europe.

Belloni’s experience could prove particularly important as FIAT attempts to balance its traditional strengths in affordable, practical vehicles with Stellantis’ increasingly global product and technology strategy.

FIAT Becomes a More Important Global Brand for Stellantis

The leadership change comes as Stellantis seeks to give FIAT a more prominent position within its global portfolio.

Under the FaSTLAne 2030 strategic plan, FIAT is designated as one of Stellantis’ four Global Brands. The strategy is expected to give the Italian automaker access to new global platforms, technologies and industrial solutions that can be deployed across a wider range of international markets.

For FIAT, that means the future will extend well beyond its traditional European strongholds.

The company is preparing to expand its market coverage with new products intended to meet the needs of customers in increasingly diverse markets. At the same time, Stellantis is looking to preserve the characteristics that have historically defined FIAT: simplicity, accessibility, ingenuity and a strong connection with everyday customers.

That combination will be critical as FIAT competes in an increasingly crowded global automotive market dominated by electrification, SUVs, crossovers and increasingly sophisticated vehicle technology.

FIAT, Abarth and Lancia Get Closer Alignment

Belloni will oversee the strategic direction of FIAT while also leading Abarth and Lancia.

The move is intended to create closer alignment between the three brands at the marketing and strategic levels while allowing each marque to maintain its own identity.

FIAT will continue to focus heavily on accessible mainstream vehicles, while Abarth will retain its performance-oriented character and Lancia will continue its broader premium repositioning.

The organizational structure could allow Stellantis to share technology, platforms and industrial resources between the brands while developing distinct customer propositions.

That approach is particularly relevant as the company expands its use of common vehicle architectures and technologies across multiple brands.

Gaetano Thorel Expands His European Responsibilities

Gaetano Thorel will continue to lead FIAT and Abarth in Enlarged Europe and will now also take responsibility for Lancia.

His new responsibilities will be supported by a functional reporting line to Belloni.

The expanded role is designed to improve coordination between the three brands and strengthen the execution of their commercial strategies throughout the European market.

For Stellantis, the arrangement creates a clearer connection between global brand strategy and regional commercial execution.

While Belloni will focus heavily on strategic direction and marketing, Thorel will continue to play a central role in translating those priorities into the European marketplace.

Olivier François Moves Into a Strategic Advisor Role

The leadership transition also marks the end of another important chapter for Olivier François, one of Stellantis’ most recognizable executives.

After more than 30 years of contributions to Stellantis and its predecessor companies, François will remain involved through mid-October 2026 to help Belloni complete a smooth transition.

François has held an unusually broad range of senior positions during his career. His responsibilities have included CEO roles at Chrysler, FIAT, Abarth, DS Automobiles and Lancia, as well as the position of Global Chief Marketing Officer.

He was also heavily involved in developing some of the automotive industry’s most recognizable advertising campaigns.

Following the transition period, François will remain connected to Stellantis as a Company Strategic Advisor.

In that role, he will contribute to broader strategic issues, including brand and product strategy, allowing Stellantis to retain his experience while giving the company a different leadership structure for its brands.

“On behalf of the entire Stellantis team, I want to thank Olivier for his many years of outstanding contributions and leadership across our brands and marketing organization. We wish him every success in his next career chapter and look forward to continuing to benefit from his experience and expertise as a strategic advisor to our Company,” said Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa.

Grande Panda Leads FIAT’s Product Expansion

The organizational changes come at an important moment for FIAT as the company prepares to expand its product lineup.

The Grande Panda is already playing an important role in FIAT’s product strategy, combining the brand’s traditional focus on practicality and accessibility with a more modern design and technology package.

But the company is not stopping there.

According to the FaSTLAne 2030 strategy, FIAT intends to significantly broaden its market coverage through a new generation of global products.

Among the next important additions will be the Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback, which are expected to strengthen FIAT’s presence in the C-segment.

The C-segment represents one of Europe’s most important automotive categories, particularly as customers increasingly move toward larger crossovers and SUVs.

Expanding into this market could therefore be crucial to FIAT’s efforts to increase its sales volume and improve its competitiveness across Europe and other international markets.

FIAT’s Global Ambitions Are Growing

The new leadership structure reflects a significant shift in how Stellantis views FIAT.

Rather than functioning primarily as a European volume brand, FIAT is being positioned as a global brand capable of using Stellantis’ worldwide industrial scale, technology and platforms.

That could give the company access to markets where it has historically had a smaller presence while also allowing it to develop vehicles designed from the beginning for international customers.

The challenge will be maintaining FIAT’s distinctive identity while expanding its product range.

FIAT has historically succeeded by making cars that are relatively simple, affordable and easy to live with. Its strongest products have often been defined less by technical excess and more by clever packaging, approachable design and everyday usability.

As the brand becomes more global, those characteristics will need to remain central to its identity.

What the New FIAT Leadership Means for Future Cars

Arnaud Belloni’s appointment is significant because modern automotive competition is increasingly about more than the vehicles themselves.

Brand positioning, digital marketing, customer experience and global product consistency are becoming just as important as engines, platforms and technology.

Belloni’s background makes him particularly suited to that challenge.

His responsibilities across FIAT, Abarth and Lancia could also encourage greater cooperation between brands while allowing Stellantis to reduce duplication and take advantage of shared technologies.

For customers, the most visible result should eventually be a broader FIAT lineup, more international products and a stronger presence in important vehicle segments.

The Grande Panda represents one step in that direction, while the upcoming Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback are expected to play an important role in expanding FIAT’s C-segment presence.

A New Chapter for FIAT

FIAT’s new leadership structure takes effect at a pivotal moment for both the brand and Stellantis.

With Arnaud Belloni leading FIAT, Abarth and Lancia, Gaetano Thorel managing their European commercial operations and Olivier François continuing as a strategic advisor, Stellantis is creating a structure designed to connect global brand strategy with regional execution.

More importantly, the changes underline FIAT’s growing importance within Stellantis’ global strategy.

The success of the plan will ultimately depend on the products FIAT brings to market. If the company can combine its traditional values of simplicity, accessibility and ingenuity with modern platforms, electrification and global technology, it could significantly expand its international footprint.

The next phase of FIAT’s transformation will therefore be closely tied to its expanding product portfolio. With the Grande Panda already establishing the direction and the Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback set to strengthen its C-segment presence, FIAT is preparing for a much broader role within Stellantis.

For one of the world’s best-known Italian automotive brands, September 1, 2026, could mark the beginning of a particularly important new era.

Source: Stellantis

Accessories

Breil Abarth 1000: A Scorpion’s Legacy, Told in Carbon and Steel

There’s a certain magic in Italian collaboration — the kind that turns metal into emotion and speed into art. From the throaty rasp of an Abarth exhaust to the mechanical heartbeat of a finely tuned chronograph, Italy has a knack for making machinery feel alive. The latest proof of this symbiosis comes from Stellantis Heritage, celebrating a decade-long partnership between two icons: Abarth and Breil.

The result? The Breil Abarth 1000, a limited-edition chronograph that doesn’t just tell time — it tells history.

A Watch Born from Records

The Breil Abarth 1000 celebrates a defining moment in the Scorpion’s legacy: October 20, 1965, when Carlo Abarth — then 57 years old — climbed into a one-liter, open-wheel single-seater at Monza and set his 100th world record.

This was no symbolic victory lap. The man himself underwent a crash diet, shedding nearly 30 kilograms — reportedly on a diet of nothing but apples — just to squeeze into the cockpit of the Abarth 1000 single-seater, a featherweight 500 kg machine powered by a screaming 982-cc four-cylinder good for 105 hp at 8,800 rpm.

The reward: world records for acceleration over a quarter-mile (13.62 seconds) and 500 meters (15.38 seconds) in FIA’s G Class. Not satisfied, Abarth returned the next day with a 2.0-liter engine fitted to the same chassis and took two more records in the E Class.

The car itself remains a mechanical sculpture of mid-century Italian ingenuity — you can still admire it today in Turin’s Heritage HUB, resting alongside the record-breaking 750 Bertone and Fiat-Abarth 1000 Pininfarina.

From Track to Wrist

Fast-forward sixty years. The Breil Abarth 1000 Chronograph translates that audacious spirit into wristwear form — equal parts tribute and tool. Only 465 pieces will ever exist, each numbered and engraved with “1965–2025 ABARTH 1000 – 60 Years of History.”

Like Abarth’s racing cars, the Breil Abarth 1000 is a study in purposeful design. Its 42 mm black IP steel case is aggressive but not ostentatious, the forged carbon bezel a direct nod to the composite materials found in modern supercars. A carbon-fibre dial anchors the design, complete with applied indices and three chronograph sub-dials that echo the gauges of a single-seater cockpit.

The START and STOP pushers, each shaped and finished to evoke race car controls, are tactile reminders of the Scorpion’s DNA. The red highlight on the start pusher, set against the matte black background, screams Abarth — equal parts aggression and precision.

Under the sapphire crystal beats a TMI VK63 quartz movement, a hybrid-mechanical caliber known for crisp chronograph action and impeccable reliability. Water resistance is rated to 10 atmospheres, ensuring it’s as durable as it is stylish. The black IP steel bracelet with a deployant clasp completes the package — a subtle blend of muscle and refinement.

Mechanical Soul, Modern Precision

There’s poetry in how the watch mirrors the car. Both share compact dimensions, obsessive engineering, and a disregard for compromise. The forged carbon bezel mirrors the aluminum skin of the original single-seater — light, purposeful, unpretentious. The red accents mimic the pulse of Abarth’s performance aesthetic.

Even the production number — 465 — feels deliberate, matching the spirit of exclusivity Abarth fans know all too well.

At €399, the Breil Abarth 1000 isn’t about Swiss haute horlogerie or investment value. It’s about passion. It’s about strapping a slice of Monza’s history to your wrist and feeling that same thrill Carlo Abarth felt as he thundered past the timing line — one eye on the tachometer, the other on immortality.

The Breil Abarth 1000 isn’t just a timepiece. It’s a reminder that true speed never ages — it just changes form.

Source: Stellantis

News

The Holy Trinity of Italian Genius — Stellantis Heritage Unleashes Lancia, Abarth, and Alfa at Bologna’s Auto e Moto d’Epoca

If you’ve ever wondered what Italian passion looks like distilled into metal, chrome, and the occasional whiff of burnt oil, Stellantis Heritage just handed you the answer on a polished silver platter. This year’s Auto e Moto d’Epoca in Bologna (October 23–26) won’t just be another nostalgia trip through Europe’s most glamorous automotive archive. No — it’s a full-blooded celebration of Italy’s obsession with beauty, bravery, and speed.

At the centre of the show? Three legends from the Stellantis vault, each representing a different decade, a different dream, and one relentless national instinct — fare di più. Do more. Push harder. Build faster.

From the hallowed halls of the Heritage Hub in Turin and the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, emerge three machines that defined eras and defied reason:

  • the Lancia D25 (1954),
  • the Fiat-Abarth 750 Record (1956), and
  • the Alfa Romeo Scarabeo (1966).

Together, they’re not just cars. They’re rolling testaments to what happens when engineering meets espresso-fueled insanity.

The Mission: Vision, Velocity, Victory

Under the watchful eye of Roberto Giolito, head of Stellantis Heritage and designer of the Fiat Multipla (yes, that one), the brand’s historical wing isn’t just dusting off museum pieces. It’s telling stories — stories about how Italy built cars not merely to move, but to matter.

As Giolito puts it, these machines “aren’t signs of the past, but tangible proof of the Italian drive to innovate with style, courage, and imagination.” Translation: these are the greatest hits of an era when design sketches were drawn with cigarettes and conviction.

Lancia D25 (1954) — The Race That Never Was

If Enzo Ferrari had a rival worthy of his jealousy, it was Vittorio Jano — the genius behind the Lancia D25. Born from the ashes of the Carrera Panamericana-winning D24, this car was the ultimate 1950s racer that never got its chance to show off.

With a 3.75-litre V6 producing 305 hp and a top speed kissing 300 km/h, the D25 could’ve eaten early Ferraris for breakfast. It had the kind of obsessive engineering detail that would make modern chassis designers weep: transaxle rear end, inboard brakes, independent suspension, and a spaceframe chassis that used the engine as a structural member.

But fate — and Formula 1 — intervened. Lancia pulled out of sports car racing, and the D25 never got its day in the sun. Only one example survived, wearing its Pininfarina body like a tailored Italian suit that never went out to dinner. Now, in Bologna, it finally gets the spotlight it deserves — a mechanical opera in 12 cylinders (well, six, but you get the point).

Fiat-Abarth 750 Record (1956) — The Bullet That Beat Time

If Carlo Abarth were alive today, he’d be the kind of man who sets an alarm just to break it. The Fiat-Abarth 750 Record, designed by aerodynamicist and styling sorcerer Franco Scaglione, was a wind-cheating bullet that looked more UFO than automobile.

Its job? Simple: humiliate the stopwatch.

In 1956, at Monza, it smashed six endurance records — including the 24-hour run, covering 3,743 km at 155 km/h average speed. A 750cc engine. One driver. And a whole lot of audacity.

This wasn’t just speed; it was science dressed in aluminium. The Record’s teardrop shape influenced generations of Abarth and Fiat models, proving that performance and beauty could occupy the same slender space. Even Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr., son of the U.S. President, flew to Italy just to sign an exclusive deal with Abarth after seeing it. Because when Italy does small, it still does spectacular.

Alfa Romeo Scarabeo (1966) — The Rebel Prototype

And then there’s the Scarabeo. Even by Alfa Romeo standards, this 1966 prototype was pure mischief. It looked like a spaceship, sounded like a race car, and entered the world by flipping its entire roof forward instead of opening doors.

Under its O.S.I.-built skin lived the beating heart of a Giulia GTA — a twin-cam 1.6-litre four-cylinder — mounted transversely in the middle of the car. Radical? Absolutely. Functional? Shockingly so. The tubular chassis even used side members to store fuel tanks, a layout later echoed by Alfa’s racing prototypes.

It debuted at the Paris Motor Show that same year and immediately stole hearts (and headlines). The version on display in Bologna is the second prototype — with doors this time — and it remains an exquisite survivor from a time when Alfa didn’t just build cars; it built ideas on wheels.

Beyond Nostalgia

Between the Heritage Hub in Turin and the Museum in Arese, Stellantis isn’t merely keeping its past alive — it’s turning memory into momentum. Across 15,000 square meters of history, you’ll find engines, legends, and the sort of stories that make you believe the phrase Made in Italy still means something in metal.

So, if you find yourself in Bologna this October, skip the tortellini (just for an hour) and make a pilgrimage to where Italy’s golden era still hums. Three cars, three decades, one truth:

No one does beauty at speed quite like the Italians.

Source: Stellantis