Sbarro Windy - 1984

This small leisure vehicle has no sporting pretensions. It's a car in the tradition of the Citroën Mehari or Mini Moke. These beach cars, as they are often called, are very basic and uncluttered. And that's why we love them.

The Windy is a basic but very attractive leisure vehicle (photo taken from the Unicorn catalog).

12 horsepower

The Sbarro Windy's engine is a 220 cm3 Piaggio Vespa single-cylinder developing just 12 horsepower. Weighing just 330 kg, this low power rating enables it to reach 80 km/h. The gearbox has four forward gears and four reverse gears. Braking is provided by two discs at the front and two drums at the rear.

Franco Sbarro at the wheel of the WIndy at a motor show.

Back to basics

The body is made of polyester, without doors or roof. The rear pillar is reminiscent of the Windhound. The Windy can accommodate four people, even though it's only about 2.50 meters long. A drawing of the Windy in a catalog presents it as a "baby", the children's cars built by Sbarro (328, 540K, Testarossa...). Perhaps a children's version was intended, but the Windy is perfectly suited to adults, as can be seen in the photograph with Franco Sbarro at the wheel.
Although the car is basic, the Unicorn catalog specifies that the interior is in leather, with a cassette radio. Unicorn offered the Windy for sale, but I don "t know if there were any other examples than the one shown in the photographs. The Windy was exhibited in Pontarlier at the Centre Espera, which suggests that Franco Sbarro kept it.
In brief
1- Small leisure vehicle
2- 12-hp single-cylinder engine
3- Basic, but with leather interior