Sbarro Tiger History

Unveiled at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show, the Tiger was an ambitious mid-engine GT powered by a 6.3-litre Mercedes-Benz M100 V8, the same engine found in the 600 limousine. Sbarro quoted a top speed of 300 km/h and a 0–100 km/h time of around four seconds, with a five-speed ZF manual gearbox.

Franco Sbarro intended to build fifteen examples and had already taken three orders, but the project collapsed when he proved unable to source suitable body molds at a viable cost. The Tiger therefore remained a single prototype — a recurring pattern for Sbarro concepts that were technically complete but commercially unrealized.

The Tiger's engine choices in the catalog were expansive: Ford Boss (7,033 cc), Chrysler Hemi (6,980 cc), Chevrolet (7,380 cc), or the standard Mercedes 6.3-litre, signaling Sbarro's powertrain-agnostic philosophy that would characterize all subsequent originals.