Review written on 8/1964.
Several months ago I thought to my self. "Calboni should really make a Coupe Utility that is better than the Shop." Someone at Calboni must of been reading my mind because I got my hands on the latest Shop and gave it a test spin. I hope it's not as bad as the 2164 but the real question is: "How far behind does it lag to the Shop?"
We brought the Calboni Shop out to the track expecting the worst. And boy were we surprised. While the Shop isn't the fastest Coupe Utility, it is certainly as good as most Coupe Utility out on the market today. We thought the 184 hp @ 4560RPMs 4976 cc V4 engine was a good fit for this model. We were able to top out at 103 mph and on the strip we did a 14.896s 0 to 60 mph. Hooked up to our test trailer, the 170 lb-ft of torque were able to tow 169 lbs. While impressed the Shop isn't perfect on the track. But it's still good enough for most people. In the real world the Calboni Shop could not even handle a U-turn, let alone our beloved test track. Why the hell would engineers at Calboni even put a steering wheel on this train? This has to be one of the worst handling Coupe Utility I have ever driven.
While certainly does not have the best features or materials. The Calboni Shop does provide the bare necessities required in a vehicle of this type. No more and no less. As well as it should. If you wanted to spend that extra bit you would of bought the better vehicle. Was Calboni wise in this respect? Maybe, but we do think they should of offered at least a little more bang for the buck so to speak.
Inside the Calboni Shop it feels like they could add an extra row of seats. There is enough room to even lay down, which is amazing! The 47 cu-ft of cargo and passenger space ensures that you always have plenty of room to do whatever it is you need to do. And that makes us happy.
'Spare no expense!' and 'Perfection!' are known to be mottos of Calboni. And they show this off in their Shop. The build quality is no short of perfectly amazing. Hats off to their hard work.
I imagine it'll be rare to find a Calboni Shop in repair shops or even junk yards. These things are well built with quality parts. And that will show in the long run.
At this point in testing we would normally take the Calboni Shop out on the roads. However our test driver barely made it out of the parking lot before running out of fuel. The Shop's ghastly 15.2 mpg means you'll need to take a few jerry cans, scratch that, a few barrels of fuel just to make it to the grocery store.
With some focus on safety, Calboni Shop has been able to outshine most in its class. It almost makes you believe the marketing hype that Calboni does actually believe in the safety and security of your family.
I was happy with the time I spent in the Calboni Shop. This car is truly magnificent. I think future generations will look back at this vehicle and think, "I wish I owned one of these." It is absolutely one of the best Coupe Utility you can buy. An instant classic that others in the segment will be compared to. I wish I could spend more time with the Shop but it is time for them to take it away. I believe I might go buy one myself.