Bertone in Adminstration - The end?

[guy mayers]

Spotted in this months Classic & Sportscar

News that carrozeria Bertone has gone inot administration has raised fears that the company's collection of concept cars - including the Stratos progenitor Zero and the Bertone Bravo might be sold off and disappear from public view. As C&SC went to press there was no formal announcement on the cars' future.


Whip round anyone? :o

Guy

[mogul_x]

Guy,

Would you happen to have that issue of Classic and Sportscar, or was it something you spotted on the newsstand?

If you do have it, would it be possible to have you send me a scan of the page where the blurb about Bertone appeared?

[Sptwoman]

Still hoping to survive (http://www.autosavant.net/2008/01/bertone-trying-to-get-sale-done-by-feb.html) looks like.

[mogul_x]

Thanks! :)

[Matteo Gilles]

Hello everyone,

It is true that over recent years Carrozzeria Bertone has suffered due to the fact that OEM's have followed a trend in manufacturing in-house. As the stronger companies have increased their portfolios of brands they have streamlined their manufacturing processes to utilise the production facilities they already have at their disposal. Huliez, Maggiora, Karmann and Bertone are a few of the unfortunate companies that have suffered. That said, the future of Carrozzeria Bertone has not yet been decided and hopefully will return to full capacity.

Bertone however is split into a number of companies including Stile Bertone which is the design facility located in Caprie near Torino. This is where the museum is housed. As we all know Stile Bertone is responsible for designing some of the worlds greatest cars including the Lamborghini Miura, Countach and of course the Lancia Stratos. Their concepts list literally into triple figures. Stile Bertone is alive and healthy and has a good positive future, as has the museum.

I was there recently and saw all the cars in the same pristine condition as when they were built. They are all meticulously maintained and have a very good home, so I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. And in reality this collection is probably priceless which rules out selling them.

Maybe Carrozzeria Bertone should start up production of the Stratos again.

Matteo

[chris.richard]

How many zeros were produced, and how many replicas are there?

[Matteo Gilles]

One original 1970 concept car that resides at Bertone in metallic copper/bronze. Then in 1987 Michael Jackson flew the car to California to have 3 replicas made for his video of Smooth Criminal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WjOn5TNjBM). These were a mixture of prop cars that did different things. A few years ago a well known custom car builder in the UK called Andy Saunders managed to buy one of these prop cars and set about turning it into a fully functioning road car based on a Fiat X1/9 (http://andysaunderskustoms.freeservers.com/) which now does the rounds as a show car. As for the other 2 prop cars that's anyones guess.

Matteo

[strat6v]

Morning Matteo

The Stratos Enthusiasts club had that very same zero replica on the club stand at the Chatsworth rally show last autumn, kindly loaned by Andy Saunders. BIG crowd puller too!!

[Matteo Gilles]

Hello John,

What a car. Wonder how difficult it would be to start producing replica kits for it? Maybe Gerry might be interested. I can guess that pretty much anyone who has a Stratos will want one of these in the garage too.

Matteo

[strat6v]

You'd only want it in the garage. You have to be a contortionist to get in, once in you cannot see anything at all :eek: As far as accident protection, forget it. Very nice toy though.

Tim (swamprat) actually drove it at Chatsworth too, not round the rally stage mind. Just from the transporter to the club stand. Wish you could have seen peoples faces....... :D

[chris.richard]

I thought the Michael Jackson props were half scale or something. Obviously not!

[chris.richard]

You'd only want it in the garage. You have to be a contortionist to get in, once in you cannot see anything at all :eek: As far as accident protection, forget it.


The video in the newsletter (plug, plug!) of John getting in demonstrates that very well! How impractical can you get?
I'm sure it'd get a negative NCAP score.

[chris.richard]

One original 1970 concept car that resides at Bertone in metallic copper/bronze. Then in 1987 Michael Jackson flew the car to California to have 3 replicas made for his video of Smooth Criminal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WjOn5TNjBM). These were a mixture of prop cars that did different things.

Was that it?! Less than a second of screen time? Or was there a film that used it too?

[Chris J]

I can't see that there is any more connection between the production Stratos and the Stratos Zero than there is between any other Bertone concept and the production Stratos. It's a Stratos in name only.

[guy mayers]

Michael Jackson used the car (I assume it was one of the copies) in the Moonwalker video - there's considerably more than one second!
Guy

ps - I'm no contortionist but I managed to get into the real thing without too much trouble, unfortunately the keys weren't in it...

[strat6v]

I am a touch taller Guy, and i have a bad back!! :)