Conceived as a design exercise into automotive aerodynamics, Franco Scaglione’s Abarth 1500 Biposto is a wonderful example of ‘form follows function’ design resulting in a truly beautiful shape. Considered the predecessor to Scaglione’s trio of Alfa Romeo BAT cars, so much so the Biposto is often referred to as BAT 1, the concept debuted at the 1952 Turin Motor Show where its futuristic body stunned the public with a pair of rear fins, teardrop wheel arches and a central headlight. A joint effort between Franco Scaglione, Carlo Abarth and Nuccio Bertone, the 1500 Biposto’s stunning body produced an incredibly low drag coefficient, low enough to propel the Biposto to 112mph, a considerable speed from a car putting out only 75 horsepower.
Packard Purchased the Biposto shortly after its debut, using it for design inspiration. It then passed into private hands, being driven just 30,000km’s over roughly 20 years. After being discovered in a barn in 2003, the Biposto has undergone a full restoration to original condition.
Abarth 1500 Biposto Image Credit: conceptcarz.com/view/photo/669706,18752/1952-Abarth-1500-Biposto_photo.aspx
