OK Statoholics i have had a chance to look at the data and can give the Satao low down for March 2011 on Abarth new vehicle registrations in the UK.

Well with 288 cars registered March as expected with the new plate saw 71.8% of YTD registrations take place in the month with the A500 seeing 195 registered of the 258 YTD so 75.5%.

What about Come del gioco di colore??

White white white white white if you want a more exclusive Abarth it is not the colour to go for. I am stunned that despite for the A500 the NCO being the best colour and not BNW as it was until 2011 MC in Sept 10 that White is the colour that dominates. For the A500 almost 52% of YTD are white and March 11 confirms that with 98 of the 195 March 11 A500 registrations being white. For the a500 Red remains #2 choice with 18.2% of YTD registrations.

APE white is #1 as well with 25 of this yers registrations of 59 being white if you want exclusive with the APE then RED is the colour 8 in total this year and only 22 in total have been registered in the UK.

So 25 White ape registered in march 2011 yes???

Year to date, I believe that was.

 

So in march 24 apes must have been registered if my maths is correct.

Jan + feb = 35

Post above said 59 registered ytd.

Could be wrong thow.

April 2011 just in

A500               78
A500C             20

500's Total       98

AGP                 1    here it is Andy71's Black AGP the UK's only AGP on an 11 plate
APE                 9


All Abarth      108

A bit of a turn up for the books in terms of White APE's only 1 registered this month although as usual for A500 with 56.4% of this months registrations being White.

Delaney, perhaps you could explain why Camp grey is free on the APE, but costs on the A500, and white costs on the APE. But white is free on the A500 and camp grey costs?

I work with Italian firms. There is no logic.

Now, to the registration figues. You do all know this is going to end in tears don't you? 

On the one hand I'm delighted. It will help residuals no end and I continue to drive one of the most exclusive cars on the road 

But these figures are truely dire for FIAT SPA, when you take into account their investment (and that of the 20 or so UK dealers). I've no doubt the picture is no better in other European markets.

There's no way FIAT will continue with Abarth in the current way, at this rate, at least not in the long term, unless the market share increases dramatically. These are not hand build supercars that trickle off the production line at a huge profit.

FIAT SPA will want Abarth to stand on its own two feet and I recall they declared a target of it being 'in profit' within two years of launch. I would be surprised if that has been achieved.

On a positive note the cars are fantastic (although marketed in typical Italian "Field of Dreams" style - that is, "I have built it so they will come"). Abarth as a brand is surely highly prized for its heritage alone and at least FIAT have positioned it appropriately in that respect.

There are too many failed performance brands that have ceased being sold here - Renault Alpine springs to mind - where manufacturers have not been able to achieve sustainable targets.

What will happen?

Unless there is a dramatic upturn in sales I think the APE's long term future is in doubt. They made 9 RHD versions in April for heaven's sake!

When the current crop of contracts are up, Abarth will be offered to all FIAT dealers (I find it an absolute pain that I have an hour's drive when I have two FIAT showrooms only 15 minutes away in opposite directions, and both part of the same group as my Abarth dealer!).

That said, I love the brand, love the cars and hope Abarth survives and grows (but not too much - I also love the exclusivity too  ).

Could I just add a sobering thought?

April - main month of the year for new car registrations. 108 Abarths. 20 dealers? I thinks that's roughly the number. Just over 5 cars each, on average. 

The dealer I bought from has 25% of showroom space given over to Abarth. Sales per square metre? 

But I say it again. Not much wrong with the product.