Bertone
Gruppo Bertone is an Italian car styling and coachbuilding house, which also manufactures cars. Bertone styling is very distinctive, with most cars having a strong "family resemblance" even if badged by different manufacturers. Bertone has styled cars for Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Iso Rivolta, Lancia, Lamborghini, Mercedes Benz and Volvo Cars among others. In addition the Bertone studio were responsible for two of the later designs of the famous Italian motorscooter " Lambretta". The highly innovative and influential-if unsuccessful "Luna" range and the DL/GP -a makeover of the established LI Ser III design
The company is based in Turin. It was founded as Carrozzeria Bertone in 1912 by Giovanni Bertone, with designer Nuccio Bertone taking over after World War II. The company was divided into two units — the Carrozzeria building as many as 40,000 cars per year at its height, and the styling studio, Stile Bertone. The company is currently headed by Lilli Bertone, widow of Nuccio.
Financial protection, 2007
Bertone applied for Concordato Preventivo in November 2007, the Italy’s equivalent of America’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to several years of financial losses. The company has reportedly posted a total loss of €37.3m (US$55.4m) over the past three years, on sales of €325m. The Concordato Preventivo will allow Bertone bosses to reorganize their operations while protected from creditors. Bertone's 1,350 employees have been protected and paid by an Italian government funded scheme, which expired at the end of 2007. Carrozzeria Bertone’s workers' state-funded lay off program was extended from the end of 2007 to February.
Announced sale, 2008
On January 1 Lili Bertone announced that she signed option to sell the company to Domenico Reviglio the founder and President of Gruppo Prototipo.
The Gruppo Prototipo is best known as owner of Nardò test track. Domenico founded automotive testing and certification specialist Prototipo in the early 1990s and now runs a turnaround company called Keiper.
The Reviglio-Bertone announcement follows on the heels of a proposal in late December 2007, where Gianmario Rossignolo announced he was planning to take over the Turin-based contract manufacturer.
Rossignolo--a former CEO of Lancia, Telecom Italia and appliance maker Zanussi--at that time presented his restructuring plan for Bertone to the Italian Production Activity minister, local authorities and worker unions, winning a preliminary go-ahead.
Cars and scooters styled by Bertone
- 1952 Abarth 1500 Coupé
- 1958 Abarth 1000 GT Coupé
- 1965 Abarth OT 1000 Spider
- 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 Sport Spider
- 1954 Alfa Romeo 2000 Sportiva
- Alfa Romeo BAT-5
- 1954 Alfa Romeo BAT-7
- Alfa Romeo BAT-9
- 1954 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint
- 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale
- 1962 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint
- 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint
- 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale
- 1964 Alfa Romeo Canguro
- 1967 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior
- 1967 Alfa Romeo Montreal
- 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo
- 1978 Alfa Romeo Alfetta
- 1980 Alfa Romeo Alfetta 2000
- 2003 Alfa Romeo GT
- 1955 Arnolt-Bristol
- 1962 ASA Coupé
- 1962 Alfa Romeo GTA
- 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Jet
- 1970 Lancia Stratos Zero
- 1972 Citroen Camargue
- 1973 NSU Trapeze
- 1974 Lamborghini Bravo
- 1976 Alfa Romeo Navajo
- 1976 Ferrari Rainbow
- 1977 Jaguar Ascot
- 1978 Lancia Sibilo
- 1979 Volvo Tundra
- 1980 Lamborghini Athon
- 1981 Mazda MX-81
- 1983 Alfa Romeo Delfino
- 1984 Chevrolet Ramarro
- 1986 Citroen Zabrus
- 1988 Lamborghini Genesis
- 1990 Chevrolet Nivola
- 1992 Bertone Blitz
- 2003 Bertone Birusa
- 1962 BMW 3200 CS
- 1970 BMW Garmisch 2200Ti (led to BMW 5-series)
- 1982 Citroën BX
- 1989 Citroën XM
- 1991 Citroën ZX
- 1995 Daewoo Espero
- 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso
- 1974 Ferrari 208/308 GT4
- 1967 Fiat Dino Coupé
- 1968 Fiat 850 Sport Spider
- Fiat Ritmo/Strada
- Fiat X1/9 (also badged as a Bertone and built on Bertone's own line)
- 1960 Gordon-Keeble
- 1962 Iso Rivolta
- 1965 Iso Grifo
- 1969 Iso Lele
- Lancia Stratos
- 1967 Lamborghini Marzal
- 1967 Lamborghini Miura
- 1968 Lamborghini Espada
- 1971 Lamborghini Countach
- Lamborghini Diablo
- Lamborghini Urraco
- 1968 Lambretta Luna line: Lui, Vega & Cometa
- 1969 Lambretta GP/DL Scooter
- 1972 Maserati Khamsin
- 1974 Maserati Quattroporte II
- 1959 NSU Sport Prinz
- 1960 NSU Wankel Spider
- 1962 Simca 1000
- 1967 Simca 1200S Coupé
- Volvo 262
- Volvo 780
- 2001 Opel Astra Coupe/Cabrio
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