When Wedge Had the Edge

This book celebrates the striking wedge cars that first appeared at the 1968 Paris Motor Show. A surreal wedge-shaped sculpture of steel, glass, and layers of scaly metal astounded show-goers with its daring shape and extraordinary form. The Alfa Romeo Carabo was an exercise in lateral thinking at just about every level.

This bookcelebrates the striking wedge cars that first appeared at the 1968 Paris MotorShow. A surreal wedge-shaped sculpture of steel, glass, and layers of scalymetal astounded show-goers with its daring shape and extraordinary form. TheAlfa Romeo Carabo was an exercise in lateral thinking at just about everylevel. With headlamps covered by retractable slats and, for the first time,doors that opened with scissor action, the Carabo rewrote the rules ofautomobile design, kick-starting an avalanche of wedge forms — a trend thatremained in vogue for the best part of the next two decades.  A bold departurefrom traditional automotive design, captivating the imagination and emphasizingsharp lines, low profiles and angular contours, the wedge shape, characterizedby a sharply tapered front end that widens towards the rear, was not merely a stylisticchoice, but a reflection of advances in aerodynamics and engineering. Byminimizing drag and improving stability at high speeds, these cars demonstrateda commitment to performance and efficiency. How the motorcar designersgradually moved towards the wedge shape is described in this book whichculminates in a celebration of the many variations that can be seen today.