Volkswagen Orbit (1986)

{{Infobox automobile

| name = Volkswagen Orbit

| production = 1986

| designer = Italdesign Giugiaro

| layout = Front-engine, four-wheel-drive

| engine = {{cvt|1781|cc}} I4 SOHC

| length = {{cvt|3985|mm|in}}

}}

The Volkswagen Orbit is a concept car by styling house Italdesign shown at the 1986 Turin Motor Show. It shouldn't be confused with another Volkswagen Orbit concept shown in 1991.{{cite web |url=https://www.traumautoarchiv.de/html/6288.html |title=VW (D) Orbit 1991 |access-date=2024-05-07 |language=en,de}}

Overview

=Background=

The Orbit was a further refinement of previous Italdesign concepts such as the Alfa Romeo New York Taxi (1976), Lancia Megagamma (1978), Capsula (1982) and Together (1984). The concept was built on a Volkswagen Golf Mk2 platform, specifically the new Syncro.{{Cite web |url=https://dyler.com/blog/265/back-to-the-future-with-exclusive-italdesign-concepts-from-1986 |title=Back to the Future With Exclusive ItalDesign Concepts From 1986 |date=March 21, 2022 |website=dyler.com |access-date=2024-05-07 |language=en}} The goal was to produce a car around 4 metres in length. The concept was 15cm taller than the existing Volkswagen Golf and featured a large amount of glass.{{Cite web |url=https://www.largus.fr/actualite-automobile/volkswagen-les-concept-cars-insolites-de-wolfsburg-10691399.html |title=Volkswagen. Les concept-cars insolites de Wolfsburg |date=August 14, 2021 |website=www.largus.fr |access-date=2024-05-07 |language=fr}}

The Orbit would be developed further into the Italdesign Machimoto,{{Cite web |url=https://www.autocar.co.uk/slideshow/brilliant-beautiful-cars-italdesign |title=The brilliant, beautiful cars of Italdesign |date=October 24, 2019 |website=Autocar |access-date=2024-05-07 |language=en}} shown the same year.{{cite web |url=https://www.italdesign.it/project/orbit/ |title=Project: Orbit - 1986 |access-date=2024-05-07 |language=en}}

=Interior=

Inside it featured a unique digital instrument cluster.{{Cite web |url=https://www.carthrottle.com/post/vr8y3gm/ |title=The 15 Weirdest Concept Car Interiors In Automotive History |website=Car Throttle |date=15 August 2017 |access-date=2024-05-07 |language=en}}

References