Choosing Aftermarket Sport Seats For Your Fiat Abarth 500
Seat fitting guide
The Abarth 500 is a small car with a high seating position, and the standard seats do not hold you well once you start using what the car can do. Changing them is one of the most useful things you can do to an Abarth, but the cabin is tight, so the seat and the frame need choosing together.
This guide goes through the seats we most often suggest for the Abarth 500, the frames that fit them to the car, and a video of one owner fitting an OMP bucket seat. Everything here comes from our own listings; if your car or your build is unusual, ask us first.
- Space between the door card and the tunnel is the main limit in an Abarth 500
- Reclining seat option: the Sparco R100, base mount, 13 kg
- FIA bucket options: the Cobra Monaco Pro and the OMP TRS-E, both base or side mount
- The Recaro Pole Position ABE is a road approved shell, not an FIA seat
- Frames: Sparco direct fit sub-frames, Planted Technology SB099 or an OMP subframe
- Tell us your height, waist and the exact model (500, 595 or 695) before ordering
What is on this page
Start with the space
The Abarth 500 is one of the smallest cars people fit a competition seat to. There is very little room between the door card and the transmission tunnel, and the roof is low, so a wide shell will not go in, and a tall driver on a high frame will find their head in the roof lining.
That is why we ask for your height and build before recommending anything. A shell can clear the sill on paper and still sit against the door card once the car is back together. Garreth’s advice is to sit in the seat before you buy if you can get to the showroom, and to tell us the exact model, because Sparco list separate frames for the 500, 595 and 695 badged cars.
Seats that suit the Abarth 500
Sparco R100. A reclining sport seat on a tubular steel frame, weighing 13 kg, with a 271 mm by 345 mm base bolt pattern. It comes in cloth and vinyl, with a Martini Racing version too. The backrest has harness slots for a 4 point belt, and it works with the standard lap and diagonal belt for road use. For a road car that sees the odd track day, it is the seat we suggest first.
Recaro Pole Position ABE. A one piece glass fibre bucket at around seven kilograms, with an integrated headrest and a lumbar pad for everyday comfort. The ABE approval is a German road approval, so it is designed for road cars using the standard three point belt. It is not FIA approved, so it is not the seat for timed competition. Recaro seats go on the Planted Technology bracket.
Cobra Monaco Pro. An FIA 8855-1999 bucket built from steel plate, not a moulded shell, which makes it 11.4 kg. Unusually for an approved seat it can be base mounted or side mounted, and it has slots for a 4 or 6 point harness. Listed for drivers under 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist.
OMP TRS-E. An FIA 8855-1999 seat on a tubular steel frame, 10.3 kg, with removable leg cushions and slots for a 4 or 6 point harness. Like the Monaco Pro it mounts on the base or on the sides, which is why it fits so many small cars. It comes in two waist sizes, 28 to 32 inches and 32 to 36 inches.
Auto Style Type BS5. A reclining seat with a fibreglass reinforced backrest on a steel frame, in black fabric, sized for drivers under 6ft. It is a base mount seat with sliders included, and a comfortable choice for a road car.
| Seat | Type | Approval | Mounting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 | Reclining | Road | Base |
| Recaro Pole Position ABE | Fixed back bucket | ABE road approval | Side mount |
| Cobra Monaco Pro | Fixed back bucket | FIA 8855-1999 | Base or side |
| OMP TRS-E | Fixed back bucket | FIA 8855-1999 | Base or side |
| Auto Style BS5 | Reclining | Road | Base, sliders included |
The R100 is a good example of how well a reclining seat can suit this car. It sits lower and holds you better than the standard seat, it still reclines, and on a Sparco frame it bolts to the factory mounting points.
If you want to see a finished car, our customer question on a Sparco R100 package for an Abarth 595 goes through one set up, both sides.
-
From £282.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £239.40 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £113.40 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £222.60 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
The frames that fit them
Sparco direct fit sub-frames. Steel frames that bolt to the Abarth’s original seat mounting points and present a 345 mm by 271 mm base mount pattern. That pattern takes Sparco, OMP and Corbeau base mount seats, not only Sparco. They are sold singly and handed, so order a driver side and a passenger side for a pair. A side mount bucket needs side mounts or adaption bars on top of the frame.
Planted Technology SB099. Planted’s bracket for the Fiat 500 from 2009, laser cut from steel and powder coated black. Planted brackets have multiple bolt positions, so they take a wide range of seat brands and the sliders from most major makers. This is the route for a Recaro seat.
OMP subframe. We also list an OMP subframe for the Abarth 500, which is the tidy option if you want a matched OMP seat and mount package.
For fore and aft adjustment on a base mount seat, add a pair of sliding runners between the frame and the seat. The Sparco frames are fixed position without them. Most Abarths have side airbags in the standard seats, so tell us the car’s specification and we will talk through what changes when they come out.
An owner fits an OMP bucket seat
The AbarthCouple on YouTube filmed a full, step by step install of an OMP bucket seat in their Abarth 595. The seat is the OMP Legend, which is the same seat as the TRS-E in a different trim. They used OMP’s motorsport base plate and adapted it with base mount sliders.
That works, but for most people we would suggest the Sparco or Planted frame, which make it easier to keep the standard seat belt buckle working. It is still well worth watching before you start the job yourself.
Which to choose
For a road car that you want to sit lower and feel more connected in, a reclining seat such as the R100 or BS5 on a direct fit frame is the easy answer. For a road car with a proper bucket, the Pole Position ABE on a Planted bracket. For a car that will be scrutineered, one of the FIA seats, the Monaco Pro or the TRS-E, and check the seat’s approval label against your championship’s rules.
If you are after a recliner, our guide to the top 5 reclining seat choices for the Fiat Abarth 500 goes further into that side. Otherwise, book a visit and try the seats; in a car this small it is the quickest way to the right answer.
What seat frame do I need for an Abarth 500?
A Sparco direct fit sub-frame, the Planted Technology SB099 bracket, or an OMP subframe, depending on the seat.
Can I fit a Recaro seat to an Abarth 500?
Yes, on the Planted Technology bracket. The Recaro Pole Position ABE is a road approved seat, not an FIA one.
Which FIA bucket seats fit an Abarth 500?
We suggest the Cobra Monaco Pro and the OMP TRS-E, both FIA 8855-1999 and both able to base or side mount.
Do the Sparco Abarth frames only take Sparco seats?
No. Their 345 mm by 271 mm pattern takes Sparco, OMP and Corbeau base mount seats.
Is there a different frame for the Abarth 595 and 695?
Sparco list separate frames for the 500, 595 and 695, so tell us which you have.
💬
Our pickSparco R100 on a Sparco frame
A low, supportive recliner that bolts to the factory mounts of a road Abarth.
Need a personal recommendation?
We're here to ensure you pick the right seat.
Contact us today.
