This is the 1966 Alfa Romeo Scarabeo II by Turin-based coach builder Officine Stampaggi Industriali (OSI), chassis 105.11.0002. This unique machine shown here is the second car of a series of four unique prototypes developed for Alfa Romeo, a spider prototype (body lost, mechanics used in chassis 002), the Paris OSI coupé, the OSI berlinetta (chassis number 002), and an incomplete barchetta. During the mid-1960’s, Alfa Romeo was seeking to develop a sports car prototype/concept, and in order to accomplish this, the Italian automotive manufacturer sent three H-shaped chassis paired with Giulia GTA engines to OSI. In January 1966, the first running prototype of the Alfa Romeo Scarabeo, featuring a spider body, was tested at the Balocco test track by Teodoro Zeccoli; subsequently, its mechanical components were installed in the OSI berlinetta chassis number 002, and the spider body was scrapped. The initial engineering and design work was first handled by technical designer, Giuseppe Busso, and italian automobile designer, Orazio Satta Puliga, with finishing touches put in place by Italian automotive designer, Sergio Sartorelli, who would supervise the design as a whole. The second version, a silver example, was displayed publicly during the 1966 Paris Motor Show. After the silver Scarabeo impressed the crowds in Paris, a third version (2nd in terms of what’s left today) was produced, this time with a slightly different design and a left-hand drive configuration. A final, barchetta-style spider version was built as a test mule, and can be found to this day alongside this example at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese/Italy. The H-shaped chassis structure used on these concepts served as a development tool for the chassis of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 sports racing prototype that was raced between 1967 and 1977.
How many made? 4 bodies made (1 lost) 3 total exist today. Each with unique bodywork.
Engine: Giulia GTA Sprint derived 1.6L four-cylinder twin camshaft - 115hp
Debut: 1966 Paris Motor Show
Top Speed: around 125mph
0-60mph: N/a
Photo Credit: @pablorivasbao
Research: @rarecarsonly
1966 Alfa Romeo Scarabeo II
07.01.2025
Alfa Romeo