1989 - ACA SBarro

Sbarro Helios - 1991

After the orbital wheel, the Helios program is Franco Sbarro's second major project. But unlike the spectacular Orbital Wheel, the Helios innovations are not visible: the aim is to apply the principles of the Dual Frame chassis designed by Franco Sbarro to improve handling.

A pure profile for the white Helios convertible (photo by Dingo)

Sbarro's style

Let's start with the obvious: the bodywork. Franco Sbarro offers two versions of the Helios: a coupé (blue) and a cabriolet (white). The styling is very similar to that of the Osmos, except for the exhaust pipes. The cabriolet features an original Plexiglas roof system, which is concealed in two side trunks, keeping the lines very pure.
As with the Osmos, the engine is a Jaguar V12 with an exaggerated sound.
Smooth as a pebble, Helios seems to lurk on the ground

Dual Frame chassis

Underneath lies the real technical revolution: the Dual Frame chassis. I suggest you go directly to the page devoted to this chassis, in the "technical" section (direct link here).

Franco Sbarro and the mechanical module of the Helios Dual Frame chassis (photo by Dingo).

A stand designed by Mario Botta

The Sbarro stand at the 1991 Geneva Show was designed by architect Mario Botta and financed by Agip Suisse. Mario Botta is an architect who had already designed the Sbarro stand at the 1990 Geneva Show to exhibit the Chrono.  In 1991, he designed a kind of ramp on which four elements were presented to explain the Dual Frame concept: the two cars (coupé and cabriolet), the bare rolling chassis and a monocoque body in composite materials. The stand was financed by Agip Suisse.
Part of the presentation ramp designed by Mario Motta for the Helios program at the 1991 Geneva Show.

Fredy Lienhard enters the scene

The Helios program presented in Geneva in 1991 left its mark on a motorsports enthusiast, Fredy Lienhard, who runs the Lista furniture company. His name was to reappear regularly on future Sbarro prototypes and in the creation of the Franco Sbarro schools. In 1992, Fredy Lienhard bought first the white cabriolet, then the entire Helios project: the stand, the molds... The whole thing was presented at the Autobau exhibition (a name that would appear in 2010 on a Sbarro prototype commissioned by Fredy Lienhard).
In brief
1- The Helios program illustrates the possibilities of the Dual Frame chassis
2- Mario Motta's spectacular stand at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show
3- The start of a long collaboration between Franco Sbarro and Fredy Lienhard
  • 12-cylinder V-cylinder engine
  • Dual Frame chassis