New Developments at Bertone

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New Developments at Bertone

by Bill Barranco

Stile Bertone is located 1100 meters (10,000 feet) below the 10th century Sacra San Michele Monastary. Click for larger images

Marco Filippa, Chief Executive Officer at Stile Bertone; Lilli Bertone, President; and Michael Robinson, Executive Brand and Design Director

Nuccio Bertone surrounded by some of his iconic creations

(L-R) Lancia Stratos Street and Rally Race Concepts (1971, production 1974) and 1970 Lancia Stratos Prototipo Zero Concept by Marcello Gandini. The Stratos was a three-time World Rally Champion

Giovanni and Nuccio Bertone (right) in 1961

Stile Bertone - located in Susa Valley west of Turin, Italy - has seen a series of internal and external changes in the last two years. But even in this global economic crisis the famed design studio is steadfast and committed, remaining vibrant and alive.

The Nuccio Bertone Automobile Museum, officially opened in 2005 and houses more than 70 prototypes and production cars designed by Stile Bertone

Michael Robinson and Lancia Stratos Prototipo Zero

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint (1954)

Stile Bertone design studio with windows facing the Sacra San Michele

Lamborghini Countach Concept (1971, production 1974) by Marcello Gandini

The most recent development, which occurred on July 28, has seen Lilli Bertone, Nuccio Bertone's widow and President of Bertone, create Bertone Cento as the holding company for both Stile Bertone (design) and Bertonecento R&D (engineering). This change was facilitated in part by the sale of Bertone's manufacturing facility in Corso Allemano to Fiat this July, though Fiat has not acquired any portion of Bertone Cento or Stile Bertone.

Following the creation for the new holding company, Lilli Bertone appointed Michael Robinson as the Executive Brand and Design Director of Stile Bertone.

"I see my role here as the orchestrator of the creative team," Robinson told CDN at a recent interview at Concorso Italiano in Monterey, CA. "My goal is to recreate Nuccio's talent farm; to take young, highly creative and unproven talent and then nurture and mentor them, transforming them into giants in the Bertone way."

Jason Castriota, who was appointed Director of Design at Stile Bertone in December last year, will continue in his position and answer to Robinson, while Marco Filippa will run the design arm, becoming its new Chief Executive Officer. Speaking with CDN, Filippa described his role as not being a designer nor an engineer or a financial officer, but as the global corporate coach. Filippa is credited with orchestrating the acquisition of Lilli's full ownership in Stile Bertone away from her daughters, who were allowed control after Nuccio's death in 1997.

Bertone was founded in 1912 as Carrozzeria Bertone by Giovanni Bertone. His son, Nuccio Bertone, took over the company in 1935, and in 1954 he opened the new factory in Corso Allemano to produce 1000 copies of the then new Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint. In the end, over 100,000 Giulietta Sprints were built by Bertone.

In 1971, Nuccio moved the design studio away from the factory building (in Corso Allemano) to Caprie, west of Turin, in order to provide a more inspirational atmosphere for designers and simultaneously avoid the complications of potential factory labor disputes. This is the same studio where Marcello Gandini worked to create the Stratos Prototipo Zero, the Stratos and the Countach.

Today, as the 100th anniversary of Bertone approaches, a small but inspired group of designers continues to create vehicles - for mainly Asian clients - while the company waits for the western world to recover from the present economic crisis.

"Twelve years ago before my husband passed away, I promised him that I would restore Bertone as the top Italian design house before the hundredth anniversary." Lilli Bertone told CDN. Her goals for the future vision of the new Bertone now seem well and truly underway.