The Tapiro made waves at the Turin Motor Show, catching eyeballs with its sharp angles and aggressive stance. That same year, it toured the globe, turning heads at the Auto Expo in Mexico City and later at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It was clear Italdesign was serious: this car had charisma and potential to write the next chapter for Volkswagen-Porsche sportscars.
Underneath the wild design was a flat-six engine, promising performance that could have made the Tapiro a genuine contender on the road. But here’s the twist: despite the buzz and the clear intent, neither Volkswagen nor Porsche really bit. The reasons were murky—maybe the radical styling scared the suits off, or the timing just wasn’t right—but the car never went beyond the prototype stage.
After its run on the show circuit, the Tapiro found an unlikely owner, a Spanish industrialist who snapped up the unique piece. Sadly, the story takes a dark turn in 1973 when the Tapiro was destroyed in a fire—an event suspected to be an arson attack linked to protests against the owner’s social policies. A dramatic end to a car that might have changed the game.
The Volkswagen-Porsche Tapiro remains a fascinating “what if” in automotive history—a glimpse of what could have been if daring design and German engineering had found common ground. It’s a striking reminder that even the boldest ideas sometimes face hurdles, but their legacy lives on, influencing the cars we crave today.
