The Sbarro Windhawk is a one-off vehicle built in 1979.
King Khaled of Arabia asked Franco Sbarro to build him a version of the Windhound adapted for falconry, one of his favourite sports. The king wanted a vehicle capable of going at full speed over the different types of terrain found in Arabia and one that allowed him to hunt without leaving the vehicle.
Franco Sbarro was given a free hand to do this project except that he had to use a Mercedes engine (90% of the king’s fleet were Mercedes). A 217 BHP version of the 6.9 litre V8 was used. All six wheels, the most eye-catching feature of the vehicle, were driven with power from the engine.
A 350 litre petrol tank was fitted to provide sufficient range. The ground clearance could be changed hydraulically from 25 cm to 42 cm. The top speed is roughly 125 mph which is ample for off-roading. Sbarro solved the problem of hunting without leaving the vehicle by having seats that could be raised hydraulically by 80 cm. This allows the hunter to rise-up through the two open sun roofs and work the birds without leaving his seat. As for the falcons, they have a special refrigerator to keep the morsels of meat fresh that they receive as rewards.