The 1968 Carabo Bertone: A Revolutionary Concept Car in model car
This exceptional model car of the green 1968 Carabo Bertone represents one of the most daring and influential concept cars in automotive history. Designed by the renowned Italian coachbuilder Bertone based on a Lamborghini Miura, this futuristic car marked a turning point in automotive design in the 1960s. This faithful 1:43 scale reproduction is a choice piece for any collector with a passion for Italian cars and avant-garde design.
Presented in its transparent protective case , this model car perfectly captures the revolutionary essence of this unique prototype which was never mass-produced, making its reproduction all the more precious for lovers of exceptional automobiles.
Characteristics of the model car
- Model: Carabo
- Brand: Bertone
- Year: 1968
- Scale: 1/43rd
- Color: Green
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Protective case included: Yes
The Carabo Prototype: A Laboratory of Futuristic Ideas
The 1968 Bertone Carabo was born from the boundless imagination of Marcello Gandini, then a young designer at Bertone. Presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1968, this concept car revolutionized the aesthetic codes of the time with its angular, geometric lines that radically contrasted with the sensual curves then in vogue. Its name, inspired by the ground beetle, evokes the insect's rigid, shiny shell.
Built on the shortened platform of a Lamborghini Miura , the Carabo retains the 4-liter V12 engine developing 350 horsepower. Its compact dimensions (4.02 m long and only 99 cm high) and its featherweight of 1,020 kg make it a veritable green missile with exceptional performance. The gullwing doors, which open upwards, are one of its most striking visual signatures.
This unique prototype had a profound influence on automotive design in the following decades. Its pure, geometric lines directly inspired the Lamborghini Countach , another Gandini creation, as well as many Italian supercars of the 1970s and 1980s.
Bertone: The Art of Italian Coachbuilding
Founded in 1912 by Giovanni Bertone in Turin, Carrozzeria Bertone quickly established itself as one of the most prestigious body shops in Italy. In the 1960s, under the leadership of Nuccio Bertone, the founder's son, the company experienced its golden age, creating masterpieces for the greatest Italian brands. This prosperous period saw the birth of iconic models such as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint and the Lamborghini Miura.
In 1968, the year the Carabo was created, Bertone collaborated closely with Lamborghini to develop the bull brand's visual identity. The Turin workshop became the creative laboratory where the aesthetic codes of the future were invented, blending Italian craftsmanship tradition with avant-garde vision. Marcello Gandini, who joined Bertone in 1965, brought a revolutionary geometric approach that had a lasting impact on the automotive industry.
This fruitful collaboration between Bertone and Italian sports car manufacturers helped to forge the worldwide reputation of transalpine automotive design, of which the Carabo constitutes one of the creative peaks.
La Carabo: When Science Fiction Meets the Automobile
The story of the Carabo Bertone goes far beyond the automotive world to become part of the cultural history of the 1960s. Its presentation at the Paris Motor Show in 1968 coincided with the creative effervescence of this revolutionary decade. Its iridescent green color , achieved using a revolutionary metallic paint for the time, fascinated and confused visitors accustomed to more conventional shades.
Paradoxically, the Carabo's design initially had a greater influence on the film industry than on the automobile industry. Its futuristic lines and spaceship aesthetic inspired prop designers for 1970s science fiction films. The car quickly became an icon of Italian modernity, photographed in architecture and design magazines alongside the creations of designers such as Joe Colombo and Ettore Sottsass.
Remarkably, the Carabo anticipated the aesthetics of the supercars of the 1980s and 1990s by twenty years. Its flat surfaces and sharp edges, revolutionary in 1968, became the standard for prestige sports cars in the following decades. This aesthetic prescience explains why this unique prototype continues to fascinate car enthusiasts more than fifty years after its creation.
Now preserved in Bertone's private collections, the original Carabo remains an exceptional testimony to the creative audacity of Italy in the sixties, a time when designers and engineers dared to completely rethink established codes.
Complete your collection of Italian model cars
This model car of the Carabo Bertone occupies a special place in the world of Italian car collectors. A rare piece representing a unique prototype, it is the ideal addition to a collection dedicated to concept cars or Bertone creations. Its rarity and exceptional character make it a choice investment for enthusiasts of Italian automotive design.
Discerning collectors will particularly appreciate its complementarity with Gandini's other creations, notably the model car Lamborghini Countach and Miura . This trilogy allows us to trace the stylistic evolution of the Italian master and to understand the considerable influence of his creations on the contemporary automobile industry.
Intended for collectors passionate about Italian cars and lovers of avant-garde design, this reproduction of the Carabo is also aimed at those nostalgic for the 1960s , a decade of creativity par excellence. Its protective case guarantees optimal conservation, preserving this exceptional piece for future generations of collectors.
