If you see the word Sbarro and immediately think of delectably mid mall food court pizza, then we should be friends, because that’s where my brain goes, too. But, it’s also the surname of an enterprising Swiss carmaker, Franco Sbarro, who made extremely small quantities of wacky vehicles, including this, the 1983 Sbarro Super Five.
This particular car is said to have been built for a member of a Middle Eastern royal family before being displayed at the 1985 Geneva Motor Show, and Sbarro wanted it to be a luxury car, despite being a Renault 5 Alpine Turbo under its new fiberglass skin.
It is one of the rarest cars around, too, with only one other example claimed to have been built. Given its Renault underpinnings and early ’80s technology suite including a small CRT television for rear seat passengers, it will be a bit of a commitment to keep running despite showing only 12,000 kilometers or around 7,000 miles on its odometer. It can be yours though, if you’re brave enough, since it’s currently listed for auction on Bring A Trailer.
Unfortunately it pairs the carbureted turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder with a three-speed auto
If you’re hoping for this car to retain the performance chops of the iconic Renault 5 Alpine Turbo, you’ll be sad to learn that it’s rocking a three-speed automatic transmission. This isn’t based on the mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive widebody Renault 5 Turbo, either, it’s based on that model’s much more conventional front-wheel-drive predecessor. That means it has a turbocharged carbureted 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that sent 108 horsepower when new to the three-bolt 15-inch front wheels, but Sbarro swapped out the Renault’s five-speed manual transmission for a three-speed automatic, so don’t expect this exotic to win many races.
It’s a luxury car, after all, with a truly gorgeous interior where virtually every surface is covered in taut, new-looking white leather, even the included pair of child booster seats. The center stack is made of trees, and houses supremely comprehensive Clarion stereo controls as well as a turbo gauge, oil pressure gauge, and climate controls.
The coolest design feature on the exterior is the massive and oh-so-’80s red, orange, and yellow graphic that connects the two taillights and reads, “SUPER FIVE” in a zesty 3D typeface.The quad tailpipes look cool too, but only the two on the driver’s side are functional. The exterior isn’t particularly exciting otherwise, but you’ll be spending most of your time inside the immaculate leather-lined interior anyways, so hush.
If this piece of automotive history sounds like it’ll fit perfectly in your garage or collection, then hit up Bring A Trailer, where it’s listed for auction at no reserve.
