Alfa Romeo Carabo Tribute: 1975 Aztec 7 Kit Car

Kit cars almost always seem to take the same form, no matter which family they come from: an unfinished project, languishing on an enthusiast’s driveway. I’m not sure why this is, other than the fact that they require some level of assembly by the owner, and given many of us have more ambition than time, a kit car can very easily fall into a state of disrepair because it often shows up half-done in the first place. Throw in the fact that parts availability is likely abysmal and it’s of little surprise almost every single one of them is a project. This rare 1975 Aztec 7 was commissioned as a replica of the Alfa Romeo Carabo and is listed here on eBay with bids to $3,050 with the reserve unmet.

I have great admiration for the community that keeps these obscure kits on the road. It can’t be easy. Not to mention the fact that everyone thinks it’s a vintage exotic owing to its shape and the gullwing doors but they’re almost all powered by an anemic Volkswagen air-cooled engine. But while the shape may be a fairly sympathetic tribute to the Alfa show car, it generally doesn’t hold up in other areas. My biggest gripe with the kit cars is the wheel selection never comes close to what the original vehicle came with. They just look goofy, likely owing to the limitations of the VW chassis. These wheels would likely look proportionally amazing on a vintage Beetle, but don’t come close on a car meant to emulate the Alfa Romeo Carabo.

The Carabo was slammed on its belly with virtually no space visible in the wheel wells. The wheels and tires were a seriously staggered combination with huge rear wheels and generous dish on both front and rear rollers. Right there, the kit fails to emerge as a suitable copy, and I have to wonder if the next owner could attempt to remedy this with a more aggressive wheel and tire setup. The interiors are always a bit better in terms of looking like an exotic, and the deeply bolstered bucket seats and three-spoke steering wheel definitely play up that Italian exotic concept car look this Aztec is trying to capture. Amazingly, the air conditioning works as the seller has recently serviced it.

To the seller’s credit, he’s done way more work than most kit owners tend to do to make this Aztec as reliable as possible. All new ignition components, a cleaned-out gas tank, new wheel cylinders, a new clutch kit, a new starter, fresh tires, and much, much more have all been installed or addressed over the last few months. The seller notes the interior and exterior paint need some love, and that if you’re over six feet tall, you won’t fit inside. While not everyone’s cup of tea, this oddball kit car has at least been loved on more than most of them have.