The Origins of Wedge Car Design

13 Marcello Gandini At the Paris Motor Show in 1968 Marcello Gandini presented the Alfa Romeo Carabo. The design elements of the Carabo follow more closely an obvious wedge silhouette in combination with sufficient degrees of angularity that typify many wedge car designs. In a 2018 interview with Davide Cironi of Drive Experience, Marcello Gandini indicated that the Carabo was “a decisive cut” from the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal. In terms of Gandini’s work, the Alfa Romeo Carabo was his first pure wedge car. It is our opinion that the Alfa Romeo Carabo better represents early Italian wedge cars than the Lamborghini Marzal. The following year, Marcello Gandini presented the A112 Autobianchi Runabout concept at the 1969 Turin Motor Show shown below and on the next two pages. The Autobianchi Runabout was known to be a prototype design for the for the Fiat X19. Gandini was interviewed by Davide Cironi of Drive Experience in 2018 and was asked about the origins of the Lancia Stratos Rally Car: “…it was born on a prototype called the Runabout, which also influenced the X1/9, but above all the Stratos” 1969 Autobianchi Runabout

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA0NTk=