Short answer
What the Abarth logo symbol means
Carlo Abarth was born on 15 November 1908, which makes him a Scorpio, and he chose the scorpion as the company emblem when Abarth & C. was founded in Bologna on 31 March 1949. That is the one documented reason. The shield, the yellow and red field and the Italian flag stripe belong to the logo, but the sources reviewed here do not explain what the colors mean, so any reading of them is interpretation.
Quick read
Abarth logo at a glance
- Symbol
- A black scorpion on a yellow and red shield
- Reason
- Scorpio, the astrological sign of founder Carlo Abarth
- Founder born
- 15 November 1908, Vienna
- Company founded
- 31 March 1949, Bologna
- Colors explained?
- Not in the sources reviewed
Interactive logo decoder
The Abarth Scorpion Shield
The shield
The shield is the frame for the whole badge. In the 2007 version it has a polished chrome edge that makes it look like a metal emblem on a car body.
Highlighted on the logoItalian flag stripe
A short, wide stripe under the banner shows the Italian flag in green, white and red, which marks the Italian origin of the brand.
Highlighted on the logoThe scorpion
The black scorpion crosses the yellow and red diagonal field. It stands for Scorpio, the astrological sign of founder Carlo Abarth.
Highlighted on the logoLogo palette
Abarth logo colors
Select a swatch to copy its HEX value. Values reference archived artwork unless official guidelines are cited.
#2A2B2DThe scorpion and the name banner in the 2007 badge, sampled from the archived logo file.
#DB281DThe lower red half of the diagonally divided shield.
#FCDB15The upper yellow half of the shield.
Why the Abarth logo is a scorpion
Carlo Abarth was born Karl Albert Abarth in Vienna on 15 November 1908 and later took Italian citizenship. His astrological sign was Scorpio, and Wikipedia reports that he chose it as the company logo when he founded the firm in 1949. That is the entire official story, and it is a short one.
There is no recorded design brief. The scorpion is a personal emblem, closer to a signature than to a corporate symbol, and it stuck. Wider readings, such as a stinging tail for small fast cars, are not in the sources reviewed here and are not company claims.
Abarth scorpion logo before the shield
Abarth & C. was founded on 31 March 1949 in Bologna, after Carlo Abarth's work with the Cisitalia racing team ended when its owner moved to Argentina. The first archived mark is a blue-gray scorpion drawing above the red caption ABARTH & C° - TORINO. There is no shield or colored field yet.
The yellow and red shield appears in 1954, with the scorpion in the middle and a blue banner reading ABARTH&C. above it. Wikipedia does not say why yellow and red were chosen, and neither does the brand's page, so the colors should be treated as a design choice with no stated reason.
The Abarth shield badge on racing cars
Through the 1950s and 1960s the badge was redrawn several times, with a paler variant in 1955, a darker one in 1958 and a bold, simplified shield in 1969 that read only ABARTH on its banner. The shield sits on the hood of the Abarth-Simca 1300 GT in the photo, one of the most visible places the scorpion appeared in the racing years.
Carlo Abarth sold the company to Fiat on 31 July 1971. The company ceased to exist on 1 October 1981, but the name lived on as a trim level and racing label, and the scorpion went with it.
Abarth logo in the 2007 relaunch
When Abarth was re-established as an independent unit on 1 February 2007, the badge became a chrome-edged shield with a black ABARTH banner, a short Italian flag stripe and a black scorpion on the yellow and red field. It is the badge on the 124 Spider pictured and on the Abarth 595.
The flag stripe marks the Italian origin of the brand. The scorpion remains the only part with a documented reason.
Logo archive
Abarth logo versions through the years
1949 The scorpion without a shield 
1954 The shield appears 
1969 Bold and simplified - 2007 The relaunch badge
Frequently asked questions
Abarth logo symbol questions answered
Why does Abarth have a scorpion?
Carlo Abarth was a Scorpio, and he chose the scorpion as the company logo when he founded Abarth & C. in 1949.
What do the yellow and red on the Abarth logo mean?
The sources reviewed here do not give a meaning for the colors, so any explanation is interpretation. The shield is split diagonally between yellow and red.
When was Carlo Abarth born?
On 15 November 1908 in Vienna. He later became an Italian citizen and founded Abarth & C. in Bologna on 31 March 1949.
Who designed the Abarth badge?
No designer of the scorpion shield is credited in the sources reviewed here. The choice of the scorpion is attributed to Carlo Abarth himself.
Is Abarth part of Fiat?
Carlo Abarth sold the company to Fiat in 1971, and it was re-established as an independent unit on 1 February 2007. It is now part of Stellantis through its Italian subsidiary.
Keep reading
More logo meanings
References
Sources for the Abarth logo story
Abarth logo and history. Logo images are an educational reference archive.