Everything has already been invented, apparently. Born in 1990, and until now virtually unknown, the Biagini Passo it's like an ancestor of the newly launched Volkswagen T-Roc Cabrio.
It may not have the Volkswagen brand, but it couldn't be more Volkswagen at the same time. Hidden behind the name is a Volkswagen Golf Country — with the same Syncro all-wheel drive system — with a slightly altered bodywork of the first-generation Golf Cabriolet mounted on its chassis.
Faced with this, Biagini's creation presents itself with new bumpers, wheel arch wideners, a different grille, new front and rear lights and even a bull-bar.
It was a success?
Well… the fact that Biagini Passo is practically unknown answers this question, however, there are numbers to corroborate this fact.
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As usual when talking about models produced by small bodybuilders, the numbers are not usually the most exact. However, it is estimated that between 100 and 300 units of Biagini Passo were produced.
Apparently, the Italian-German “SUV-convertible” equipped with a 1.8 l four-cylinder and 98 hp, did not get along very well with corrosion, which is why it is estimated that most of the examples have already disappeared.
But is Biagini Passo a proposal too far ahead of its time? The truth is that, even today, with a market dominated by SUVs and crossovers, the convertibles derived from these seem not to want to take off.
If a Land Rover Defender, a Jeep Wrangler or even a UMM with only the sky as a roof are immensely desirable, the most modern SUV and crossovers haven't had the desired reception — just remember the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet or the Range Rover Evoque Convertible. Will the Volkswagen T-Roc Convertible have any better luck?