Alfa Romeo Carabo


The Alfa Romeo Carabo is a concept car first shown at the 1968 Paris Motor Show. It was designed by Marcello Gandini, working for the Bertone design studio. The Carabo name is derived from the Carabidae beetles, as evoked by the car's iridescent green and orange coloring.
The wedge design came into fashion in the late 1960s. The Carabo is often considered the winner of the 'Wedge War' award of 1968 and as the direct predecessor of the Lamborghini Countach and having heavily influenced many car designs to follow well into the next decade. It was never intended for production but was fully functional and showcased features never expressed in any other car design of its day, including its wedge design and scissor doors.
The prototype was built on the chassis of an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, which features a mid-mounted 2.0 L V8 engine mated to a 6-speed Colotti manual transmission. The Carabo engine made at 8,800 rpm and of torque at 7,000 rpm. This allowed it to be able to reach a top speed of.
The scissor doors later appeared on the Lamborghini Countach, which was also designed by Marcello Gandini.

Replicas

Sam Foose built a replica of the Carabo on a De Tomaso Pantera platform after he was unable to buy the concept from Bertone. The Fiberfab Aztec was a kit car model based on the Carabo.

In the media

Marvel Comics' Nick Fury makes a quick getaway from some Las Vegas thugs in his red "Carabo" in Marvel Spotlight Vol.1, issue 31 titled "Assignment: the Infinity Formula".