As we've discussed in previous posts, the Scorpion began as a Pininfarina's proposal to Fiat as a Fiat 124 successor. Bertone ultimately won the business, resulting in the Fiat X1/9. But, Pininfarina continued to develop its mid-engine concept, and went on to manufacture the car as an addition to Lancia's Beta model range.

Like so many powerful concepts, the Scorpion lost its planned 3L V6 in the transition from show car to production car. And naturally, some who bought the production version longed for the lofty power figures of the concept car. This example improves substantially on the 118 smog-strangled horsepower of the US-market 1800cc engine, first with an upgrade to a 2.0L unit from a European model (or a US 124 Spider), and then with a turbocharger kit.

Year: 1977
Model:  Lancia Scorpion
Engine: 2.0L twin cam turbocharged 4-cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage:  52,540mi
Price: Auction
Location: Milwaukee, WI

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Lancia Scorpion

Excellent original  Scorpion with 160 to 180 hp fuel injected, intercooled Lancia engine. All  mechanical sytems rebuilt: brakes, front and rear suspension, trans and clutch. Upgraded A/C with rotary compressor. Upgraded Pioneer Stereo/CD player and new speakers. Body stripped and repainted to correct original spider-webbing.of paint. Near mint original interior with original floor mats. Upgraded 15 inch wheels with new Yokohama tires. A spectacular looking and driving Lancia, the way it should have been.This car was featured in Car & Driver magazine in 1984 with a turbo charger of that era added to the original 1800cc engine to show what the performance should have been.
Call for more info. (414) 350-3199

The result of the turbocharging exercise is an estimated 160-180hp, which should faithfully replicate the 180 or so horsepower that one might expect from a 3.0L V6 from around 1977. As much as we love the Busso V6 from Alfa Romeo, we can't help but admire the relative ease with which one can add a turbocharger to this platform. No custom axles, no custom shift cables, no custom engine mounts - just a plump turbo and some plumbing and the power is ready.

One might argue that a car in such nice condition deserves to be kept a time capsule, and we're inclined to agree with such thinking ourselves. But, the spirit of the car is corrected with the turbocharger, as Pininfarina certainly did not design the car with US emissions laws in mind. The buyer of this car might end up spending quite a bit more than typical market price of a similar Scorpion, but doesn't that reflect the desirability of hot-rodded Scorpion?

I can think of few cheaper methods of obtaining something resembling the 1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Bertone Carabo concept by Marcello Gandini. Short of buying the show car, you could always go for an early Lamborghini Countach, which inherited the scissor doors and wedge shape of the concept. Faithful to the original, but not economical, the Countach.

Or, you could go the fiberglass route. Supposedly produced in a 400-unit run, the Aztec 7 by Fiberfab is executed quite well as far as kit cars go. A turbocharged VW 1600 engine and VW transaxle send power to the rear wheels, and if we had to guess, probably do a decent job of matching the acceleration of the 230hp V8 from the Carabo concept.

Year: 1979
Model:  Fiberfab Aztec 7
Engine: 1600cc turbocharged 4-cylinder
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage:  14,084mi
Price: $13,300
Location: Long Beach, CA

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1968 Fiber Fab Aztec 7

1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo inspired 70’s wedge! Hand built. A very loved and well cared for endangered species. Fiber Fab originally produced these rear engine cars called the Aztec 7. There were 400 produced. Possibly as few as 150 are left out there today. This car specifically has had a good life, finished in 1979 it still carries its original interior, wheels and drive train powered by a turbo charged 1600. Original photos of the car from 79’ when the car was completed are still with the car today. It’s been fun getting to know the history of this car and digging through the factory build manual and reading all the notes the he made as he was building the car. The last owner of the car gave it a nice refresh from paint to mechanicals in 2013. It’s recently had a transmission rebuild, new clutch and battery installed. The car starts right up, all electrical and headlights work as they should. Brakes and tires are fresh and the car handles well. All VDO gauges work well and are original to the car. Clean title and tags good till june of 2020, the car is turn key and ready to drive. The chassis below is showing only light surface rust in some spots, the rest of the body is fiberglass. Being all original (besides new paint and steering wheel) from 79’ she isn’t perfect but a lot of fun to drive. Climbing into a gull-wing wedge produces smiles for anyone involved. This would be a great car to show at Radwood LA in December. If you have questions about the car, I’ll do my best to answer them. I’m also happy to arrange a time for you to come see the Carabo in Long Beach, California.


The last owner hand wrote a letter that is still with the car, this is what it said:


This is Fiber Fab Aztec 7 tribute to the prototype by Alfa Romeo Bertone Carabo. It has been my baby since May of 2013. TLC has been lavished upon her by way of proper badging, front, back and sides, as well as shift knob and Luisi steering wheel. If it needed it, it was repaired or replaced. Featured in Kit Car Magazine January 1983, this is a lowered 1971 VW chassis with a BAE Ray Jay turbo charged 1600cc flat four motor the previous owner said he put $5,000 into. Registered in CA as a 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo Replica with a coveted referee's sequence of number certificate, (means NO smogging) Gull Wing doors, Lamborghini Miura windshield, battery shut off switch, air height adjustable rear shocks, MSD electronic ignition, single side draft Weber fully adjustable racing carburetor with tuning manual, manual choke, Western Turbine wheels, new tires, Italian Vitaloni racing mirrors, ceiling console toggle switches, new radio. Original assembly manual included. Not perfect but very impressive. Growls and turns heads. Great wow factor. Currently insured and driven. Title in hand and in my name. I am going to miss this car. 

VW running gear means that running costs should be quite manageable, and finding mechanical parts shouldn't prove to be an issue either. The condition of this example seems to be close to excellent, which makes sense in light of the low mileage.

We're not sure if this car makes more sense for the Alfa fan or the VW fan. I'm not so sure that the typical Alfisto has a garage stocked with air-cooled VW tools and supplies, nor do I think that the typical VW fan has a burning desire for a classic Bertone-inspired fiberglass car. In any case, the car looks to be an affordable entry into some serious Bertone design.

-Graham

Talk about foreshadowing - nearly 70 years after Alfa Romeo introduced the Matta, Alfa Romeo and Jeep would be collaborating with a vehicle almost identical in spirit, the Jeep Wrangler. The modern Wrangler design harks back to military vehicles such as the Matta, and today, is powered by the same power plant used in the Alfa Romeo Giulia.

The Matta, too, was powered by an Alfa Romeo luxury sedan engine. At the time of the Matta's production, the Alfa Romeo 1900 led the marque's offerings. Displacing 1,884cc, the iron block, aluminum hemi head 4-cylinder produced 64hp from its long-stroke design. In a departure from the 1900, the Matta utilized a dry sump design, likely to keep oil pressure at the bearings during off-road articulation.

Year: 1953
Model:  Alfa Romeo 1900 M AR 51 Matta
Engine: 1,884cc 4-cylinder
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage:  5,000
Price: Auction
Location: Casabianca, Italy

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 M AR 51 Matta

For sale  an extremely rare ALFA ROMEO AR51 (1900M), a very good example of the car better known as "MATTA" (crazy in Italian). Conceived on request of the Italian Ministry of Defense in order to have a modern replacement for the ubiquitous Willys MB the Alfa AR51 (AR stands for Autovettura da Ricognizione modello 1951, Reconaissance  Car, model year 1951) revealed itself as a very sophisticated vehicle, its engine (type 1307) a 1884 cc four cylinder twin cam derived from that used on 1900 saloons and GTs (type 1306) and here detuned at 65 HP, dry sump lubrication, indipendent front suspension with torsion bars, a low range transfer box enabling it to climb on 120% slopes. A very good car, a brilliant technical excercise, but very expensive to built so only 2054 cars were handbuilt (yes, no production line) at the Alfa old aero engine factory at Pomigliano d'Arco near Naples from 1952 to 1954; less than 500 were assigned to the Police, mainly at the various Reparti Celere (rapid intervention units) as in this case. This Matta is chassis#1374 and left the factory in 1953 with engine #1462, the same unit it still has today, a very rare case of matching numbers vehicle. It was kept by the Ministry of Interior until 1979, then was sold on the market gtting the civilian registration GR 173393; the original maroon livery used by the Italian Police during the Fifties was covered by a questionable metallic burgundy paint which the car sports still today (the interior, also originally maroon, was sprayed in grey). In its civilian life the car saw very limited and careful use by its two registered owners (as showed by the valid logbook): in fact it runs and drives very well (an electric fuel pump has replaced the mechanical type), the engine pulls smoothly without any smoke, transmission ok, no steering or suspension play; the chassis is absolutely straight and sound, the body is sound too with only some surface rust in limited areas (of course it needs a respray). The ugly rollover bar showed in some picture has now desappeared and the wiper motors and arms are now in place again alongside the original Ulpio type hook towbar, the spare wheel, jack, basic tool kit and copies of owner's, workshop and parts manuals. This car is located near Turin and have to be collected locally, shipping can be arranged easily by myself.

Given the length of time that must have elapsed between this car being useful and this car being desirable, with a long period of market indifference in between, this example appears to be in great shape. Underneath, you can spot rust at many of the seams, and yet, it is the sort of rust that a hobbyist could address in their garage with a wire wheel and some rust converter. The exterior is said to be repainted in a metallic burgundy, beneath which lies the original maroon paint found in Italian Police liveries.

We'll be the first to admit that we know very little about off-road vehicles, but what we do know is that they travel very slowly. With only 64hp, driving slowly should not be in issue in the Matta. Given its condition, we wouldn't be too heartbroken to suffer some minor off-roading damage in this example. The 1900 engine, while no Nord, won't be too hard to keep in good tune, either. All-in-all, we welcome the idea of slowly bringing this Matta back into original condition while using it as intended.

-Graham