From now on there is an availability indicator that looks like traffic lights with every item in the shop. But contrary to the road traffic lights, the Axel Gerstl lights are set to green most of the time, due to our brimmed spare parts warehouse. If, however, a product is currently out of stock, you will informed by a red traffic light.

And even if there’s something temporarily out of stock, you can put it in your cart anyway. We will inform you by e-mail as soon as the item is back on stock. The goods are put aside and will be delivered on your request.

There are two little limitations of this technology. Two rare cases in which there may be discrepancies in the inventory display in spite of our utmost care:

Exactly 65 years ago, on 31 March 1949, Carlo Abarth and Armando Scagliarini founded the company Abarth & C. SRL in Bologna. And just a few days later they started at the XVI Mille Miglia with four red Cisitalia race cars, which Carlo Abarth received in lieu of outstanding wage payments from Piero Dusio, an Italian textile industrialist,. A fifth place overall and second in the sports car class up to 1100ccm was only the prelude to countless victories and record drives for the Squadra Carlo Abarth in the sign of Scorpio.

The creative businessman financed its motorsport activities with the production of exhaust systems and accessories such as dual carburetor kits, steering wheels and suspension components and was a pioneer in the tuning industry. There was even a line of Abarth clothing for the fashion-oriented amateur racers.

Over the years Abarth created countless road and racing cars, usually on the basis of production vehicles, whose engine power was often more than quadrupled. Besides the models based on the little Fiat 500, starting at 27HP for the Fiat Abarth 595 up to 40HP for the 695 SS Corsa, the Fiat 600 has been completely redesigned. Top of the line was the Fiat Abarth 1000 TCR with more than 110HP out of one liter, achieved by a cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers.

At the end, there were more than 7300 class wins, but the competition of the big works teams became stronger, motorsport was getting more and more expensive. The strike waves of Italy in the late sixties, the stagnation in sales of tuning parts and the end of the premium contract with Fiat, which entitled him to payments for each race victory, forced Carlo Abarth to sell his company. On 15 October 1971, the company and the name Abarth officially went into the possession of Fiat and one of the biggest chapters in motorsport took an end.

Carlo Abarth worked as a consultant for Fiat for a couple of years and moved to Vienna, where he died on October 24th 1979. There’s a street named after him in Merano, Italy.

To celebrate the birthday of Abarth & C. SRL, the company Axel Gerstl has come up with a special offer: Tomorrow, Friday, the 21st of March 2014, there’s a special discount of 10% on all Abarth articles as well as on our Wheeltech rims (Art. 23009)!!!***

*** This offer is only valid for online orders placed with us on Friday, 03/21/2014 between 0:00 and 24:00 CET. An extension of time or retrospective discount is explicitly not possible.

30 years ago, the Steyr Puch Friends of Germany was raised by a group of enthusiasts to care for the preservation and presentation of the still popular vehicles. They have met at trade fairs and parts markets, participated in rides and racing events and organized a large Steyr Puch meeting every year. The company Axel Gerstl congratulates the Steyr Puch friends on their very special anniversary and wishes continued joy with their classic cult cars!

If you want to meet the Steyr Puch Friends, you’ll find them from March 22nd to 25th at the Retro Classics in Stuttgart (Hall 7, 7C92 and 7B92). They would certainly be pleased by a visit.

If you have documented the history of restoration of your Fiat 500, Fiat 126 or Fiat 600 in pictures, then you may like to participate in our contest until 31 May 2014!

Send the restoration story of your car, nicely documented by some detailed photos to restauration@fiat500126.com.***

A competent jury will judge who did the most difficult, the most perfect or the most complex job to bring his Fiat 500, Fiat 126 or Fiat 600 back on the street.

The winner receives a voucher worth 1000 Euros for shopping at Fiat500126.com to keep his car in perfect condition over the next years!

More information on this contest and the conditions of participation can be found here.

***Valid languages are English, French, Italian and German. It has to be pdf format and should not exceed 6 pages and/or 25 pictures.