Bertone Concepts on Auction Block

At the 1972 Geneva auto show Lamborghini introduced the production-ready LP 400 Countach developed from the show car presented by Bertone at Geneva the previous year. Built on a 96.5-in. (2,450-mm) wheelbase, the successor to the stunning Miura weighs only 2,343 lbs. (1,065 kg) and has a top speed of 196 mph (315 km/h). Unprecedented in a production car were the lifting doors introduced by Gandini in his Alfa Romeo Carabo.

Unveiled at the 1966 Geneva auto show, the Miura rocked all established benchmarks for high-performance sports cars. Based on a revolutionary project, it had a platform frame in boxed sheet steel and transverse V-12 engine cantered at the rear. Carrozzeria Bertone produced almost 800 bodies; the specimen on sale was the personal car of Nuccio Bertone and has 30,785 miles (49,542 km) on its odometer.

The Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale marked a key moment in the relationship between Bertone and Alfa Romeo. Unveiled at the 1957 Turin auto show, it was built on a short-wheelbase version of the Giulietta Spider. An upgrade to the Giulietta Sprint, the coupe featured extreme performance and futuristic design and 2,554 units were produced through 1965.

In 1971, Bertone introduced the Stratos in its final design for limited production. Designed to win rally championships, it took home six consecutive world titles for Lancia. Bertone built 495 units.

This electric-car prototype was a bold interpretation for a 2-seat roadster that would sprint and provide “clean” fun.

A multipurpose vehicle with a 455-hp Lamborghini V-12 engine? Nuccio Bertone dared to look into such a concept and executed it with his Genesis for the 1988 Turin auto show. The spacious MPV can carry up to six adults and features glass surfaces all around. The two front doors hinged to the A-pillar and rear sliding doors are other features of this futuristic one-off, which anticipating the trend of ever-bigger SUVs witnessed in recent years.

The Rainbow was a laboratory for unconventional style and Bertone showed it could work without constraints by converting a Ferrari coupe into a topless taiga. The frame is the same as the 308 GT4, combined with robust 250-hp engine. The wheelbase shortened by 2 ins. (5 cm) gave the compact car an aggressive look. The one-off prototype was unveiled at the 1976 Turin auto show.

A Fiat Barchetta of the 21st century: compact, being based on the framework of the 100-hp Fiat Panda; somewhat streamlined, although not as low as tradition would oblige; matching modern shapes, materials and technology; and yet respectful of the tradition of the small one-off car of the past exemplified by the Fiat 850 Spider. The upper shell is made of a single piece of wrought aluminum wrapped across the body, closing on the tail and skirted bottom. The rear-wheel arches are muscular to express power and the roll bar reminds some of the famous Bertone X1/9 Runabout concept. The one-off was presented at the Geneva auto show in 2007.

Launched at the 1998 Geneva auto show, the BMW Pickster combines the spirit of open-air gran turismo and the American love of pickup trucks. The result was a new sort of sports car with a European flavor. Built from a BMW 528 (featuring a rear suspension that takes up little space and is perfectly suited to the development of a pickup), the Pickster features a large and open loading space that breaks the mold for styling. A rear spoiler improves aerodynamics and 21-in. wheels, unusual at the time, complete the picture. The BMW 3.2L 6-cyl. powertrain is credited with 320 hp.

The Bertone Nivola is considered a tribute to the Chevrolet Corvette. The sophisticated mechanism of the ZR1 was given a new appearance by Bertone, which developed a special new frame to create a midship supercar. This enabled mechanics to maximize rear-wheel traction under strong accelerations and ensure perfect road holding on bends. The name derives from the famous driver Tazio Nuvolari, nicknamed “Nivola.”

Also designed by the prolific Marcello Gandini, the rear-mid-engine Runabout was inspired by open-racing to open racing boats in the late 1960s. The prototype led to the development of the Fiat X 1/9 unveiled a few years later. The engine is that of the Fiat 128 even though the car was introduced under the Autobianchi brand, which had inherited the mechanics.

Ramarro, the Italian name for the European green lizard, was applied by Bertone to a volume production supercar. Based on the Chevrolet Corvette, this concept introduced different arrangement of some mechanical parts to present a different look. The Ramarro won a Car Design Award in 1985. It is a fully operational one-off.

With the design exercise leading to the Cadillac Villa, Bertone designers Giuliano Biasio and David Wilkie transformed the big Cadillac SRX into a luxury lounge on four wheels, its exterior designed to show and enhance the interior. It starts with the access to a lounge that is spectacular and practical, whether under the sun or roof. Inside, luxury is derived from minimalism to provide anything that can make the journey comfortable but nothing that takes away room, air and light without good reason. Overall the password is purism.

With the design exercise leading to the Cadillac Villa, Bertone designers Giuliano Biasio and David Wilkie transformed the big Cadillac SRX into a luxury lounge on four wheels, its exterior designed to show and enhance the interior. It starts with the access to a lounge that is spectacular and practical, whether under the sun or roof. Inside, luxury is derived from minimalism to provide anything that can make the journey comfortable but nothing that takes away room, air and light without good reason. Overall the password is purism.