If there’s one thing we love about Alfa Romeo, it’s their ability to mix passion with engineering madness. In the 1960s, the brand wasn’t just about making gorgeous road cars; they were throwing everything they had into motorsport innovation. And out of this feverish creativity came the Scarabeo, a car that made people stop and say, “Wait… where are the doors?”
A Crazy Idea with Serious Pedigree
Alfa Romeo entrusted the Torinese O.S.I. (Officine Stampaggi Industriali) with the task of developing a rear-engine sports prototype based on the experimental tubular chassis of the Alfa Romeo 33. The result? A car that looked like it belonged to a sci-fi movie rather than the streets of 1966 Paris, where it made its debut.
But before we get to the futuristic quirks, let’s rewind a bit. In the early ‘60s, Alfa’s top engineers Orazio Satta Puliga and Giuseppe Busso were hard at work designing a new race car. The Tipo 33 was their baby, featuring a revolutionary “H” shaped tubular chassis that set the stage for what would become one of Alfa’s most legendary race cars. Initially developed in-house, the project was later handed over to Autodelta, where the legendary Carlo Chiti worked his magic, opting for a 2.0-liter V8 engine.
Then, with the Tipo 33 in good hands, Busso had another idea: “Let’s make a new rear-engine sports car, but let’s use the four-cylinder engine from the GTA!” And thus, the Scarabeo was born.
The Designer Behind the Scarabeo: Sergio Sartorelli
One of the key figures behind the Scarabeo’s striking design was Sergio Sartorelli, an Italian designer with an impressive résumé. Sartorelli’s career began at Ghia, where he played a pivotal role in shaping several models, from Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint prototypes to the Maserati 5000 GT one-off for Innocenti and even a custom-built Chrysler hunting car for the King of Kuwait.
After the unexpected passing of Ghia’s president, Luigi Segre, in 1963, Sartorelli briefly worked as an external consultant before joining O.S.I. as Head of the Styling Department. At O.S.I., he oversaw the design of multiple projects, including the Ford 20M TS Coupé and Spider, DAF City, Fiat 124 Cross Country, and the Alfa Romeo Scarabeo. Under his leadership, the O.S.I. design center became an aggressive force in Italian automotive styling, featuring a dedicated warehouse for prototype construction and even a small wind tunnel for scale model testing.
The Wild Engineering Choices
Unlike the Tipo 33’s V8 setup, the Scarabeo’s four-cylinder engine was mounted transversely in the rear, with the clutch and gearbox integrated into the same block. But here’s where things got funky: the whole unit was offset to the left, pushing the hot exhaust side towards the back of the car. To balance this asymmetric setup, the driver’s seat was placed on the right. Practical? Maybe not. Cool? Absolutely.
And then there’s the pièce de résistance: the doors that never existed. Instead of conventional doors, the entire roof, including the wraparound windshield, tilted forward to allow entry. It was like stepping into a fighter jet—minus the wings and missiles.
A Showstopper That Never Took Off
When the Scarabeo debuted at the 1966 Paris Motor Show, it was an instant conversation starter. The sleek O.S.I.-designed bodywork, the futuristic access system, and the bold Alfa Romeo badge made it one of the most striking concept cars of its time. But despite the excitement, the Scarabeo never saw mass production. Alfa built only a few prototypes, and then… nothing. Motorsports development took precedence, and the quirky Scarabeo was left in the shadows.
But that’s what makes it special. The Scarabeo wasn’t just a car—it was a statement, a crazy experiment that proved Alfa Romeo wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries. And even though it never hit the streets, it remains one of the brand’s most fascinating “what if?” moments.
The Three Scarabeos: What Happened Next?
Alfa Romeo produced a total of two coupes and an unfinished third prototype, an open-top “barchetta” version used as an experimental testbed.
The Scarabeo’s bodywork was crafted by O.S.I., a short-lived but highly influential coachbuilding firm founded by Luigi Segre, former president of Ghia, and Arrigo Olivetti. Despite its brief existence, O.S.I. left a lasting impact on Italian automotive design, thanks to legends like Tom Tjaarda, Sergio Sartorelli, and Giovanni Michelotti.
After the Paris debut, Alfa Romeo developed a second prototype with some key differences: it had left-hand drive, a more conventional windshield, and actual doors. However, underneath, it retained the same tubular chassis and transverse four-cylinder engine as the original. Today, this second Scarabeo is perfectly preserved at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese.
A third Scarabeo, designed as a bare-bones “barchetta” sports prototype, was also produced but never fully completed. This minimalist version featured an even more stripped-down design and served as a laboratory vehicle for further experiments. Like its predecessor, it now resides in the Alfa Romeo Museum, where enthusiasts can marvel at what could have been.
Alfa Romeo might not have put the Scarabeo into production, but these three prototypes remain an incredible glimpse into a time when the brand was willing to take bold risks in the name of innovation. And let’s be honest—who wouldn’t want to drive a car with a fighter-jet-style entry system?
