Like weddings in the Deep South, everything with cars is relative. For instance, we’d strain to call most cars with racing stripes running every which way “subtle.” But when the treatment comes from Fenice Milano, anything short of gold chrome is understated. See? Relative.
The Milanese design house is the same that has gilded everything from the Fiat 500C to the Rolls-Royce Ghost. But for this special edition, they’ve teamed up with Romeo Ferraris, the Italian tuning house that’s given us custom Corvettes, Land Rovers and of course… Fiat 500s. Okay, so between them there’s no lack of love for the retro hatchback, and this is the embodiment of their shared passion: the Abarth 500 Monza.
A limited-edition tribute to the legendary grand prix circuit, the Monza edition is limited to just ten examples. So what makes it so special? Well it’s got red and blue racing stripes – the track’s official colors – that do a wicked Herby the Love Bug impression, sans Lindsay Lohan (for better or worse). But while the stripes continue into the white leather interior, this isn’t just a trim package.
Romeo Ferraris stepped in to nearly double the engine’s output, upping the horsepower figure from 135 to 260. They also threw in 280mm Brembo disc brakes, 205/40-R17 Yokohama tires and a full aero kit. And in case that wasn’t enough with the special treatment, each example gets a brass plaque with the owner’s name, an edition number on the shifter and a whole mess of Monza logos all over the place. Which may seem a little over the top, but again: think relative. And while you’re mulling that over, check out the high-resolution images in the gallery below.