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Related Topics: Other Engineering Companies & Coachbuilder
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Bertone presents the Barchetta concept car in celebration of its 95th anniversary. Based on the floorpan and mechanicals of the Fiat Panda 100 HP, the Bertone Barchetta is an open-topped strictly two-seater sports car that calls to mind the Italian racing cars of the 1950s. In this case, the design explicitly cites the Fiat 500 with Barchetta bodywork created by the young Nuccio Bertone in 1947 as a one-off for his personal use in races. The decision to celebrate the company’s 95th anniversary with a minimalist yet sophisticated model is perfectly in keeping with the Bertone philosophy.
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Since its very earliest days, the company has interpreted cars by Italian car makers with an elegant style that emphasises their personality and technological content, with an unparalleled passion for sportiness.
Bertone’s choice of the Fiat brand to celebrate its 95th anniversary was both natural and emotional. Natural because Fiat is the Italian brand par excellence. Emotional because the birth of Bertone as a coachbuilder of “special” vehicles is closely linked to the history of the Fiat brand. The historic relationship between the two companies has lasted for more than eighty years and has generated more than fifty highly successful models counting concept cars, one-offs and production cars, from the 850 Spider to the X1/9, from the Ritmo Cabrio to the Punto Cabrio.
Styling The Bertone Barchetta is the product of innovative styling which still manages to evoke the historic traditions of the company. The compact, muscular body, with its high, taut waistline, is defined by two aluminium shells joined by a large glazed surface that crosses the doors and extends into the bonnet join line before spawning the low, wraparound windscreen.
Cabin The cabin, delimited by the wraparound windscreen and rear roll bar and furnished with sophisticated minimalism and minute attention to detail, is directly inspired by the 1947 Fiat 500 Barchetta. The anatomic seats, upholstered in natural leather, are fixed and sculpted directly into the metalwork. A console area between the two seats includes a stowage tray and an iPod dock. The adjustable dash is anchored to two exposed rails and painted in glossy white. The instruments are essential and easy to read, with a speedometer, gauges for water and oil temperature and a fuel gauge.
Air flow within the cabin is assisted by two centrally mounted exposed fans, covered by a protective grille The gearlever is machined from a solid billet of aluminium and is hand polished. As with competition ‘Barchetta’ models, the driving control mechanisms are all exposed. Dimensions Length: 3,585 mm Width: 1,705 mm Height: 1,090 mm Wheelbase: 2,300 mm Wheels: 20” alloys Tyres: Pirelli 225/30 R20 March 08, 2007 Photos: Bertone/ Automotive Intelligence
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