Sbarro Citroën C15 aventure - 1986

This small leisure station wagon, extrapolated from the Citroën C15, a utility vehicle itself derived from the Citroën Visa, was commissioned by Citroën from Franco Sbarro and exhibited at the 1986 Paris Motor Show.

Press release

I have reproduced here the press release, issued by Citroën, on September 30, 1986 (PR.86/56/JPC/LR)

"Citroën, in collaboration with coachbuilder Franco Sbarro, has produced a 7-seat, 3-door vehicle called the "AVENTURE", based on a C15 mechanical platform and powered by the Visa GTI engine.
The exterior line is that of a unibody sedan, with a raised rear section to give a useful height of 1.20 m in the rear of the cabin.
Two large side doors provide easy access to the front and middle seats. The rear "hinged" door opens up to 90° for easy access to the rear compartment and full utilization of the useful volume.
Inside, "AVENTURE" presents itself as a comfortable family sedan.
Its interior space is remarkable: seven people can travel at ease with their luggage, two in the front, three on the 2/3 - 1/3 adjustable central bench and two on the folding and swivelling rear seats.
Numerous clever storage compartments on the dashboard and in the door panels enhance passenger comfort. A suitcase is incorporated in the rear door."

The Sbarro style

After the Axel Onyx, this is the second Citroën to be designed by Franco Sbarro. The exterior styling features elements already seen on Sbarro models: slatted grille, raised station wagon profile at the rear, large trunk door. The Aventure is reminiscent of a Windhound or an evolution of the Axel Onyx with a pinch of Function Car.

An (almost) wolf in sheep's clothing

What's not visible is the engine. The C15 is an SUV with modest power. Sbarro has installed a Citroën Visa GTI engine, identical to that of the Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6. All in all, 115 horsepower power the Aventure. Of course, the car weighs more with all this equipment, and performance isn't up to GTI standards.

The collaboration with Citroën will be long after this Adventure, whether with Franco Sbarro himself or with his students at the Espace Sbarro or the Espera schools.