World’s first ‘time traveler’ car has two cockpits & quirky way of climbing inside – it is straight out of iconic movie
A MOVIE-ready, rare vehicle with only 25 iterations on the road is preparing for the auction.
Potential car auction buyers have gawked at the Italdesign Aztec, a modern-looking 1980s sports car with some wild features.
A rare two-seater Aztec is about to go under the hammer at Broad Arrow Auction, according to Media Drum Images.
Italdesign was pushing vehicle boundaries in the 1980s. One of its most bizarrely designed vehicles is the Aztec.
The Aztec is a roofless roadster that looks like it rolled straight out of a sci-fi flick.
Italdesign initially introduced the car at the 1988 Turin Motor Show.
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Giorgetto Giugiaro, the car's designer, also formed the body type for the DeLorean DMC.
The DMC was prominently featured in Back to the Future, a sci-fi movie that blends retro charm with warps through the space-time continuum.
The Aztec is one of four cars designed by Giugiaro, but it was introduced with several unique design features.
Initially conceived as a one-off, the Aztec was meant to stay a concept.
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However, the car's popularity led to a production model that rolled off factory floors and into consumers' hands.
The company in charge of the vehicle set out to build 50 models for the Japanese market, but their business plans went awry.
Eventually, the company only produced a handful of models before giving up on the car.
The rare Aztec driver and passenger were able to use a series of extremely unique features.
They entered through different gullwing doors into separate cabins.
The only way for occupants to communicate during driving was via an electronic sound system.
Each occupant had a wrap-around glass window that covered each side.
Inside the Aztec
The Aztec was a one-of a kind vehicle. Here are some of it's unique features:
- Dual-Cockpit Design: Separate driver and passenger compartments with their own canopies, creating a futuristic and unique look.
- Giorgetto Giugiaro Design: Crafted by the legendary designer responsible for the DeLorean DMC-12 and other iconic vehicles.
- Limited Production: Less than 25 units were built, making it an exceptionally rare vehicle.
- Turbocharged Audi Inline-Five Engine: Mid-mounted, turbocharged engine paired with a five-speed manual transaxle gearbox.
- All-Wheel Drive: Incorporates the all-wheel-drive system from the Lancia Delta for enhanced handling.
Underneath its futuristic body, the car packs an Audi-sourced turbocharged inline-five engine.
Engineers paired the engine with a five-speed manual gearbox and an all-wheel-drive system from a Lancia Delta.
With only 18 iterations ever built, the vehicle stands as a relic of a time when concept cars weren't just for show.
Now, one of these rare specimens is heading to auction at Monterey Car Week, offering a glimpse into an era when design dared to be different.
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This particular Aztec has barely been driven, with just 295 miles on the odometer.
Auctioneers expect the car to fetch between $215,000 and $245,000, according to the listing.