9 Interesting Concept Cars From Bertone

We take a look at the wild and sometimes weird designs of coach builder Bertone.

Italian coach builder Bertone made a name for themselves through their partnerships with Italian automakers Fiat and Lancia before World War II. After the war, they extended those partnerships to higher-end Italian makes like Ferrari and Lamborghini. Unfortunately, Bertone went bankrupt in 2014, leaving behind a legacy that included legendary designs like the Alfa Romeo Montreal, Lancia Stratos, and Iso Grifo.

In their time, Bertone influenced design through concept cars, often looking far forward with concept cars. Some were commissioned for other firms, some were Bertone projects. Here are just a handful of interesting Bertone concepts.

 Zabrus (1986)

The company trotted out their coachbuilding chops here with this three-door wagon for Citroen in 1986. They built the Zabrus atop a Citroen BX 4TC, best known as Citroen’s too-late Group B homologation special. Bertone added scissor doors (You might notice a pattern soon) and a kangaroo-skin interior for what must have been ultimate in ‘80s fashion. The instruments were displayed on a recessed panel atop the dashboard’s “shelf” and the steering wheel was a Citroen-style single-spoke wheel.

Genesis (1988)

In the 1980s, Chrysler had clawed their way back to solvency with the K-Car and the minivans based on the K platform. Not wanting to be left behind by the sudden popularity of minivans, Bertone offered their own take on it. Gullwing doors? You bet (for the front, at least). Lamborghini V12? Oh, yeah! Bertone even put in some Chrysler with a Torqueflite three-speed auto to take the Lambo V12’s grunt. Would Lamborghini’s reputation have been bolstered or ruined with the production of a 475-horsepower minivan? I guess we’ll never know.

Nivola (1990)

The Nivola represented classic Italian design: a curvy, eye-catching mid-engine sports car. The shape bridged the gap between ‘80s wedges, but instead of a high-revving Italian V12, Bertone looked across the Atlantic. They mated the C4 Corvette ZR-1’s 380-horsepower V8 to a five-speed transaxle that would have provided ample grunt in 1990. An early form of active suspension was also put on the Nivola. For those wondering, the name was derived from Italian racing legend Tazio Nuvolari.

Blitz (1992)

Right around the time GM was building the EV-1 electric car, Bertone knocked out their own all-electric concept. The Blitz featured a pair of 36-horsepower DC motors, a total weight under 1,500 pounds, and some truly incomprehensible styling with the front wheels. The passenger sitting slightly behind the driver is a nice touch, as was the 0-60 performance of around 6 seconds.

Karisma (1994)

Only bold companies base any modified car on a Porsche 911, but Bertone masked the 964-chassis Porsche well enough with their Karisma that you’d be hard-pressed to know its origins. Intended as a luxurious four-seater, passengers accessed the uncluttered interior via gullwing doors that took up half the car’s length. Bertone probably never intended the Karisma for production, which is probably good because four passengers on a trip had absolutely nowhere to put all their luggage.

Pickster (1997)

In 1997, Bertone trotted out the Pickster, a BMW 5-series based ute. The color coding and “Radical!” styling are pure 1990’s pop culture, which is a bit surprising from a company that usually tries to run a few years ahead of the game. Outside of Australia, however, the concept of a car/truck (truck/car?) never caught on and the Pickster took its grand-touring truck roots back into storage.

Filo (2001)

From the outside, the Filo, designed for Opel, could almost pass for a near-future B-segment hatchback. With a five-speed manual and a 1.8-liter engine, the mechanical components were nothing special. However, the interior hosted all of the innovation. All major controls, including the trackball-style steering mechanism, were drive-by-wire. One small console housed all the controls, which freed up interior space immensely. We may find out that self-driving cars, should they ever come around, will look a lot like the Filo.

Birusa (2003)

Bertone wanted the Birusa to reside at the cutting edge of technology, which is of course one of the primary reasons that concept cars exist. However, they also said that the hurdles to Birusa production were low. Obviously, we’ve never seen a retail Birusa, so that didn’t mete out. Still, the hyper-futuristic Birusa’s electrically assisted scissor doors would be cool today. The concept called for voice activation, though we would guess 2003 voice-activation software would make Siri look downright perfect. While some might say a 400-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 was the centerpiece, Bertone seemed more excited about the dedicated space in the trunk for a Segway.

Mantide (2009)

Based on the Chevy Corvette C6 ZR-1, the Mantide was actually faster than its root Corvette. Bertone shed some weight and improved aerodynamics to let the 638-horsepower LS9 motivate it properly. One scarcely struggles to recognize the Mantide’s roots in the Corvette, but enough angles were exaggerated to make it a true Bertone design. We regret this one was never produced. That Mantide looks mean.