Did FIAT Buy Bertone?

[sptcoupe]

Heard something about this today, and I thought I heard that they would be designing Chryslers? Anybody have any info on this?

[pope]

Yes they did. But it was at a fire sale, because Bertone has been bankrupt for quite a while and waiting for someone to buy the pieces. Bertone has designed a few nice cars. One the Lamborghini Countach, Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The Fiat X1/9 ( I am sure the owners are happy) but its just OK. Mostly I think Bertone did horrible designs. Their BAT designs were hideous experiments in design. Their designs are too angular and sharp.

[So Cal Mark]

Bertone was pretty much just a name these days, with no projects or staff

[sptcoupe]

I just hope the guy who did the Alfa GTV left some notes and drawings lying around.

[launieg]

Although a lot of their designs were angular (at a time when that style was in vogue by the way) many of Bertone's designs were stunningly classic and not at all angular. The Lambo Miura and the Fiat Dino are two of my favorite shapes, and they are very, very curvy...

The newer Alfa GT (not the GTV - which was by Pininfarina I believe) is a wonderful curvy shape too.

I should add that I also like many of their angular designed body shapes, but my point here is that they were responsible for some terrific curvy ones and some unbeatable classic designs.

[pope]

Launie,
Your partially correct about the Fiat Dino, the Spider was designed by Pinninfarina and the coupe was designed by Bertone. But Bertone designed theirs a year after the Spider approved design emerged and Bertone was to follow the lines of the Spider to design the coupe. So its not starting from scratch, but still did a nicely designed coupe.

I hope you wouldnt want to overlay a Ford GT40 over the top of a Lamborghini Miura. Opps...same car or should I say inspiration.

Hey, all automotive designers get inspirations from other cars, but its the unique styles that become classics. I give Bertone full credit on its design of the Countach. That was a beast of a design. And every hoopty in the hood is still trying to emulate it with the Lambo doors.

Its a fine line between a fad and a great design, and only time can answer that.

Here is last years BAT 11 by Bertone. An exercise in Design! I stood there looking at it expecting someone from Alfa Romeo to run over at any time and rip the Alfa badges off it in disgust and sheer embarrassment.

[sptcoupe]

When I mentioned that Bertone did the Alfa GTV, I was talking about the early 70's design, which for me, is one of the best looking cars ever and certainly a classic. The later Pinn design was nice, but forgettable, like so many designs nowadays.

[KillerB]

The back end looks like the head of a giant Japanese cartoon robot like Voltron or the Great Mazinger...