By the late 1960s, car designers were beginning to move away from smooth curves and chrome details, turning instead to sharper lines and dramatic profiles.
This new direction gave rise to the wedge shape — a style that would soon become iconic in the world of concept cars and exotic sports vehicles.
One of the earliest and most influential examples came from Italy, wearing the Alfa Romeo badge and the unmistakable flair of Bertone’s design team.
Unveiled at the 1968 Paris Motor Show, the Alfa Romeo Carabo looked unlike anything else on the road.
Created by Marcello Gandini, the same designer who would later pen the Lamborghini Countach, the Carabo wasn’t just experimental — it was a clear signal of where automotive design was heading.
Its name, “Carabo,” was inspired by the Carabidae family of beetles, known for their metallic, iridescent coloring.
Fittingly, the car itself was finished in a striking mix of green and orange, which shimmered like an insect’s shell and gave it an almost alien appearance.
Though it was never meant for production, the Carabo was a fully functional prototype built in just ten weeks by Bertone.
It introduced several features that were unheard of at the time, most notably the scissor doors — a design element that would later become a signature of supercars in the decades that followed.
The Carabo’s low-slung wedge profile and futuristic look helped shape the direction of performance car design throughout the 1970s and beyond.
Underneath its fiberglass bodywork, the Carabo sat on the chassis of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.
It was powered by a mid-mounted 2.0-liter V8 engine producing 230 horsepower at 8,800 rpm and 200 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm.
Paired with a 6-speed Colotti manual transmission, the prototype was capable of reaching a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) — impressive performance by any standard.
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons / RHP).