Bertone

Infobox Company
name = Gruppo Bertone

type =
genre =
foundation = Turin, Italy (1912)
founder =
location_city = Turin
location_country = Italy
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people = Giovanni Bertone (Founder)
Lili Bertone (CEO)
industry = Automotive
products =
services = engineering products and processes,building prototypes and cars, producing special windscreens
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
assets =
equity =
owner =
num_employees = 1250
parent =
divisions = Stile Bertone
Bertone Engineering
Carrozzeria Bertone
Bertone Glass
subsid =
slogan =
homepage = [http://www.Bertone.it Bertone.it]
footnotes =
intl =

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, Citroën, 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 GRUGLIASCO 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.Cite web|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/229357/|title=Bertone's on the brink|accessdate=2007-12-21|work=autocar.co.uk] The company has reportedly posted a total loss of €37.3m (US$55.4m) over the past three years, on sales of €325m.Cite web|url=http://www.automotiveworld.com/WVMA/content.asp?contentid=65024|title=Italy: Carrozzeria Bertone files for bankruptcy protection |accessdate=2007-12-21|work=automotiveworld.com] The Concordato Preventivo will allow Bertone bosses to reorganize their operations while protected from creditors. Bertone's 1,250 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.Cite web|url=http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080102/FREE/485295663/1530/FREE|title=New white knight emerges for Bertone|accessdate=2008-01-02|work=autoweek.com]

Announced sale, 2008

On January 1 Lili Bertone announced that she signed option to sell the company to Domenico Reviglio the founder and President ofGruppo Prototipo.Cite web|url=http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080102/FREE/485295663/1530/FREE|title=New white knight emerges for Bertone|accessdate=2008-01-02|work=autoweek.com]

The Gruppo Prototipo is best known as owner of Nardò test track.Cite web|url=http://www.italiaspeed.com/2008/cars/others/bertone/01/group_sale/0208.html|title=02.01.2008 DOMENICO REVIGLIO IN THE FRAME TO BUY BERTONE|accessdate=2008-01-02|work=italiaspeed.com] 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.Cite web|url=http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080102/FREE/485295663/1530/FREE|title=New white knight emerges for Bertone|accessdate=2008-01-02|work=autoweek.com]

Cars and scooters styled by Bertone

*1952 Fiat Abarth 1500 Coupé
*1953 Arnolt-MG Convertible and Coupe
*1953 Alfa Romeo BAT-5
*1953 Fiat 1100 TV
*1953 Fiat 8V Spider
*1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 Sport Spider
*1954 Alfa Romeo 2000 Sportiva
*1954 Alfa Romeo BAT-7
*1954 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint
*1954 Arnolt Aston Martin DB2/4 Spider
*1955 Alfa Romeo BAT-9
*1955 Arnolt-Bristol Spider and Coupe
*1958 Abarth 1000 GT Coupé
*1959 NSU Sport Prinz
*1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale
*1960 Gordon-Keeble
*1960 NSU Wankel Spider
*1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Jet
*1962 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint
*1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint
*1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale
*1962 Alfa Romeo GTA
*1962 ASA Coupé
*1962 BMW 3200 CS
*1962 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso
*1962 Iso Rivolta
*1962 Simca 1000
*1964 Alfa Romeo Canguro
*1965 Abarth OT 1000 Spider
*1965 Fiat 850 Spider
*1965 Iso Grifo
*1967 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior
*1967 Alfa Romeo Montreal
*1967 Fiat Dino Coupé
*1967 Lamborghini Marzal
*1967 Lamborghini Miura
*1967 Simca 1200S Coupé
*1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo
*1968 Fiat 850 Sport Spider
*1968 Lamborghini Espada
*1968 Lambretta Luna line: Lui, Vega & Cometa
*1969 Iso Lele
*1969 Lambretta GP/DL Scooter
*1970 Lancia Stratos Zero
*1970 Lamborghini Urraco
*1970 BMW Garmisch 2200Ti (led to BMW 5-series)
*1971 Lamborghini Countach
*1972 Lancia Stratos
*1972 Fiat X1/9 (also badged as a Bertone and built on Bertone's own line)
*1972 Citroen Camargue
*1972 Maserati Khamsin
*1973 NSU Trapeze
*1974 Lamborghini Bravo
*1974 Ferrari 208/308 GT4
*1974 Maserati Quattroporte II
*1976 Alfa Romeo Navajo
*1976 Ferrari Rainbow
*1977 Volvo 262C
*1977 Jaguar Ascot
*1978 Fiat Ritmo
*1978 Alfa Romeo Alfetta
*1978 Lancia Sibilo
*1979 Volvo Tundra
*1980 Alfa Romeo Alfetta 2000
*1980 Lamborghini Athon
*1981 Mazda MX-81
*1981 Mercedes Benz Limousine W126 Not available for public since only 18 built as Special Commissioned State Limousine tagged with 1000 SEL emblem, built for head of states.
*1982 Citroën BX
*1983 Alfa Romeo Delfino
*1984 Chevrolet Ramarro
*1985 Volvo 780
*1986 Citroen Zabrus
*1987 Škoda Favorit
*1988 Lamborghini Genesis
*1989 Citroën XM
*1989 Bertone Freeclimber
*1990 Lamborghini Diablo
*1990 Chevrolet Nivola
*1991 Citroën ZX
*1991 Cizeta-Moroder V16T
*1992 Bertone Blitz
*1993 Citroën Xantia
*1994 Opel Astra Cabrio
*1995 Fiat Punto Cabriolet
*1995 Daewoo Espero
*2001 Opel Astra Coupe/Cabrio
*2003 Alfa Romeo GT
*2003 Bertone Birusa
*2004 Bertone Aston Martin Jet 2
*2005 Bertone Villa
*2006 Bertone Suagnà
*2007 Bertone Fiat Barchetta
*2008 Alfa Romeo BAT-11

Notes

References

* [http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/229357/ AutoCar (UK) November 26, 2007 Bertone's on the brink]
* [http://www.automotiveworld.com/WVMA/content.asp?contentid=65024 Automotive World November 27, 2007 Carrozzeria Bertone files for bankruptcy protection]
* [http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080102/FREE/485295663/1530/FREE AutoWeek January 2, 2008 'New white knight emerges for Bertone']

ee also

*Karmann in Germany
*Magna Steyr in Austria
*Pininfarina in Italy
*Heuliez in France
*Valmet Automotive in Finland

External links

* [http://www.bertone.it/ Official site]
* [http://www.lunabase.co.uk/ Lunabase]
* [http://www.lcgb.co.uk/scooters/gp.html Lambretta Club Of Great Britain: GP/DL Scooters]
* [http://www.lcgb.co.uk/scooters/vega.html Lambretta Club of Great Britain: Vega Scooters]
* [http://perso.orange.fr/simcabertone/ Club Simca Bertone]
* [http://www.coachbuild.com/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=50&g2_itemId=1315 Bertone cars @ coachbuild.com]