1979 - ACA

Sbarro Windhawk -1979

Kfor falcon hunting, one of his favorite sports. In particular, he wanted a vehicle capable of driving at full speed over all types of terrain encountered in Arabia, and which would enable him to hunt without getting out of his car.

Staging a hunting party with the Windhawk.

Falcon hunting

Franco Sbarro had carte blanche, except for the engine, which had to come from Mercedes (which accounted for 90% of the King's fleet). The 6.9-liter V8 was chosen in a 217-hp version. Power is distributed over the six-wheel drive. And it's their presence that surprises at first glance. The Windhawk is first and foremost a four-wheel-drive vehicle, the additional axle being activated only on request in case of difficulty. For sufficient range, the fuel tank contains 350 liters. As with the Windhound, the car's ground clearance can be hydraulically raised from 25 to 42 centimetres. Top speed is around 200 km/h, which is more than enough for off-roading! All that remained was to solve the problem of hunting from the car. Sbarro designed a hydraulic system that raises the seats by 80 centimetres. The hunter can thus dominate the vehicle through the two opening roofs and launch the falcons without getting out. The falcons also have a refrigerator to store the meat they receive as a reward!

Press photo of the Windhawk, here in the snow, although designed for desert sands.

One-off

Faced with the six-wheel-drive Sbarro Windhawk, only the Lamborghini LM could claim such performance, minus reliability. Sbarro has proved itself capable of designing more than just replicas, and setting the bar very high indeed. The Windhawk is an example of what Sbarro is all about: unique, made-to-measure models. Franco Sbarro later produced another falcon-hunting model for the King of Morocco, based on a Rolls-Royce Camargue.
The seat can be raised for hunting through the large sunroof.
In brief
1- Six-wheel version of the Windhound
2- Unique model designed for falcon hunting
3- A Rolls-Royce Camargue was also adapted for falcon hunting by Sbarro
Main sources
1- book "Franco Sbarro / concept cars" by Fabian Sbarro
2- catalogue Sbarro Windhawk
3- various articles from period magazines including AutoJournal
  • Mercedes V8 engine
  • Engine in front longitudinal position
  • Displacement: 6900 cm3
  • 217 horsepower
  • 5-speed manual gearbox
  • Non-permanent four-wheel drive + additional hydraulic axle
  • Two front disc brakes, four rear drum brakes
  • Polyester and fiberglass bodywork
  • Weights from 2000 kg to 2500 kg
  • width 1.85 m, height 1.70 m
  • maximum speed around 180 km/h