It’s not every day that concept cars go up for grabs. The automakers and design studios that craft them typically hold on to their show cars for posterity, putting them away in archives that we’d imagine resemble the end scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark or else putting them in their own museums for visitors to their headquarters to see. That’s what makes this particular item such a rare opportunity.

Bertone unveiled this BMW Spicup concept at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show. But unlike some of today’s concept cars, this one was actually made to be driven, taking its chassis from a BMW 2000 CS, complete with its 2.5-liter inline-six engine. Sometime after the show, it was acquired by a Dutch individual who drove it regularly, but then the car disappeared into obscurity for a couple of decades.

Now restored to concours condition, the Spicup concept has been showcased at Villa d’Este and at the BMW Museum in Munich. That’s where Bonhams just auctioned it off at its POWER by BMW event, where it sold for a high bid of €460,000 (~0k). Other highlights of the event included a Le Mans and Spa-winning ’75 3.0 CSL (est. €350,000/0k), a ’79 M1 Pro-Car (€500k/0k), a ’37 328 Roadster (€500k/0k) and even a BMW-powered Abbatte wooden speedboat (€150k/0k).

Follow the jump for more info on the Spicup show car, this link for more on the POWER by BMW event and this other link for more images.

Continue reading Bonhams auctions one-of-a-kind Bertone Spicup concept at BMW Museum

Bonhams auctions one-of-a-kind Bertone Spicup concept at BMW Museum originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The image of wafting around the Italian countryside in an open-air cabriolet is inextricably intertwined with our typical notion of Italian motoring. It’s somewhat surprising, then, that there wasn’t a single four-seat convertible on offer from Italy’s automakers until the relatively recent introductions of the Fiat 500C, Ferrari California and Maserati GranCabrio. But there nearly could have been, if only Alfa Romeo had given this project the green light.

This one-of-a-kind cabriolet prototype based on the Alfa GT was only recently revealed by Bertone. The relatively simple chop-job would have given Alfa a four-seat convertible in its range, and given Carrozzeria Bertone the lifeblood it so desperately needed. But instead, Fiat passed on its production and ended up buying Bertone’s coachbuilding operations as the latter comprehensively restructured.

In its place, Alfa opted to go with the Spider as a two-seat convertible version of the Brera, designed by Giugiaro and built by Pininfarina – Bertone’s two greatest rivals. And while that model may be the handsomer of the two, both its driving dynamics and performance in the marketplace never managed to keep up. From 2005 to 2010, Alfa sold less than 22,000 examples of the Brera, and from 2006 to 2010 only 12,000 Spiders, while the GT coupe has sold over 80,000 units from 2003 to 2010. Would a GT Cabrio have proven more successful? Impossible to tell now, but Carrozzeria Bertone might still be around if it had.

[Sources: AutoWeek, OmniAuto.it]

Alfa Romeo GT Cabriolet unearthed as the project that could have saved Bertone originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Our friends at legendary Italian design house Bertone had a small group of us over to its headquarters in Caprie just to the west of Turin in order to shed greater light on what the company’s current situation actually is. In brief, from the mouth of CEO Marco Filippa, contrary to reports that recent Fiat rumblings have put Bertone on the skids, the company is instead thriving in its own humble manner… sort of.

First sign of thrive-ery is the unveiling of three Bertone-executed showcar concepts at the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show, two of which are strictly for Chinese clients and a third being of potential global significance for General Motors’ joint partner SAIC, known also as Shanghai GM. Bertone’s holding company and Stile Bertone have signed up four of the top five Chinese brands for 2011 projects, along with a project with what some insiders say is BMW, and one more with the newly incorporated Fiat Industrial.

Awkward news reports insinuating that Fiat’s pause in investing in the manufacturing facility it bought from Bertone in late 2009 – and the announcement of six Bertone museum pieces being put up for sale by RM Auctions at the upcoming Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este – had many people concluding that Bertone was desperate for cash. “Not the case at all,” CEO Filippa has assured us.

Continue reading Bertone hits Shanghai, says museum car auction may not happen after all

Continue reading Bertone hits Shanghai, says museum car auction may not happen after all

Bertone hits Shanghai, says museum car auction may not happen after all originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can’t make an omelet, or so the saying goes, without breaking some eggs. So while it’s unfortunate that the restructuring at Bertone means the dissolution of its museum collection, it also means that its contents are going up for auction. And they’ll be crossing the block at no less fitting a location than Villa d’Este.

Those in the know will recognize Villa d’Este for the Concorso d’Eleganza held there every year, where the most gorgeous and rare of classic cars mingle with the finest concept cars unveiled throughout the year. This year’s concours will mark the first time that RM Auctions will be holding an event at the open-air show on picturesque Lake Como, and in addition to the myriad unspeakably beautiful classics on the docket, RM has just announced the consignment of six concept cars from the Bertone Museum, each one-of-a-kind in its own right and available to collectors for the first time.

The consignment includes the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal, 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero, 1963 Chevrolet Testudo, 1974 Lamborghini Bravo, 1980 Lamborghini Athon and 1978 Lancia Sibilo. Each was a seminal design for Bertone, and each is expected to fetch well into the six and even seven figures. The Marzal, particularly, which was driven by Prince Ranier and Princess Grace at the start of 1967 Monaco Grand Prix, and the Stratos, the first prototype for the iconic supercar rally machine of the same name, are expected to sell for between €1,000,000 and €1,800,000… that’s as much as .5 million apiece in equivalent American funds.

Have a look at the collection (sans the Lancia Siblio, images for which are en route) in the high-resolution image gallery below, and follow the jump for the full details in the press release. Hat tip to Sea Urchin!

[Source: RM Auctions | Images: Tom Wood/RM]

Continue reading Crazy collection of concepts from Bertone to be auctioned by RM at Villa d’Este

Crazy collection of concepts from Bertone to be auctioned by RM at Villa d’Este originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar already made it clear that it’s not interested in bringing the Bertone B99 Concept to life, but that hasn’t stopped Bertone from unleashing a barrage of images and details related to its mid-sized concept. The firm says that the B99 sports a wheelbase of around 9.1 feet, and that the bodywork would be all hand-formed aluminum. Something tells us that little detail would get the boot if the B99 ever made it to the production line.

According to CarBodyDesign, Bertone specifically wanted to abandon the typical wedge shape predominate among sports sedans in favor of a three-volume look that places the headlights and the taillights on the same plane.

While the interior features an assortment of high-tech goodies, Bertone says that buyers could expect to find an extended-range hybrid system under the hood, complete with twin electric motors and a range-extending internal combustion engine good for a combined 570 horsepower.

Of course, Jaguar would first have to greenlight the project, which doesn’t look to be happening. Ever.

[Source: CarBodyDesign]

Bertone shows off Jaguar B99 design sketches, still won’t be built originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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