Bertone’s Most Beautiful Cars

After just over 100 years, one of the most prestigious companies in the world is currently in severe difficulties and in grave danger of going under. So perhaps it’s apposite that we take a look back and celebrate some of their greatest achievements.

Giovanni Bertone first founded the Bertone label in 1912. After World War II, the designer Nuccio Bertone took charge and the company expanded to cover styling, manufacture and coachbuilding. And in all of these disciplines, the distinctive Bertone touch pervades…

A hugely successful company that spanned a century, involving a quite extraordinary and unparalleled 100+ cars, encompassing designs for Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Citroen, Ferrari, Fiat, Lancia, Lamborghini, Mercedes Benz, Opel and Volvo among others. Quite some feat, when one considers the developments in car technology and the radical changes in fashion and taste during that time.

So, after a huge amount of deliberation- and feel free to compose your own list- made more complicated by the fact that sometimes they came in to restyle an already existing model, like in the case of the Chevy Camaro, the Aston Martin Vanquish, or the Ferrari 250, my pick of the pantheon of Bertone creations are as follows:

Abarth 1500 Biposto 1952

Why? It is a quite stunning and adventurous design, when one considers all that had gone before, with its Cyclops central headlight and flowing lines.

How influential was it? Well, consider that having being unveiled at the 1952 Turin Motor Show, one was subsequently bought and displayed at the Packard factory in Detroit, meant as a source of inspiration to the makers and designers of cars coming along thereafter (GT6, anyone? It’s In The Game).

Fiat Dino Coupe 1967

A beautiful car, its design, creation and success paved the way for the incomparable Ferrari Dino. Need I say more.

Lamborghini Miura 1967

As mentioned in a previous blog, this car was immortalised by The Italian Job as the priceless sports car pushed over a cliff, but it needed to impress enough in the first place to be chosen AS that car. The fastest road-car of its time.

Lamborghini Countach 1971

When one considers the departure from the norm that this car represents by its very existence, it again harks back to Bertone origins and the impact that the Abarth Biposto caused upon its release. The Countach is testosterone personified, becoming the ultimate poster car for a generation. Interesting too that it came out in the Seventies, but is thought of as the quintessential car of the Eighties.

Fiat X1/9 1972

A mid-engined two seater, with safety incorporated into its design and great handling, Again, a big departure in design terms, taking inspiration not from cars, but speedboats, it’s a classic that inspired many imitators.

Ferrari 308 GT4 1974

One that Bertone styled, rather than rivals Pininfarina, this was also the first to carry a mid-engined V8, which became the staple layout for several decades. It was a departure for Ferrari also in terms of its styling, losing the rounded lines of previous incarnations for a more angular look.

Fiat Ritmo 1978

This is perhaps a humble and unexpected inclusion in the list, however, having been the driver of one, having borrowed an old model quite recently in Italy, it is quite astonishing how this little, unassuming car still, quite literally stops people in the street. Once parked, old men approach, misty eyed, talking so fondly of their own memories of owning a Ritmo and how much they miss it. Who am I to argue with Italian villagers, for whom it was designed? Beauty after all, is in the eye of the beholder…

Certainly, it’s a sturdy car that just runs and runs and was a huge boost to Fiat in terms of numbers sold. If anything, its legendary status has only improved with the passage of time, not dimmed. Surely the sign of a true classic and one that cannot be faked.

And it is this ability of Bertone to be accepted by the fashionista as much as the ordinary man on the street that has been one of the great secrets to their success and longevity.

Bertone. Your impact on the 20^th Century is as immense as it is undeniable.

We thank you and we can only hope it’s not the end.