Where Are The Bertone Concept Cars Now?

Founded in 1912 as a traditional coachbuilding shop, it's from the 1950s that Bertone, thanks to the entrepreneurial skills of Nuccio #Bertone and the extraordinary talents he nurtured, first Franco Scaglione, then Giorgetto Giugiaro and Marcello Gandini, that Bertone flourished into one of Italy's great success stories. The firm's innovative designs were industry trendsetters from Detroit to Hiroshima. Meanwhile, Italy's thriving automakers were more than happy to let Bertone manufacture the sexy car bodies it had designed for them. #ConceptCars #Design
However, by the late 2000s, the cracks in the company became large enough for everyone to see. The Grugliasco manufacturing plant went to Fiat in 2009, while Bertone's style and engineering business kept struggling for relevance in a changing world until its bankruptcy in 2014.
During the firm's tormented last years, Bertone's prized car collection became a surefire way to generate cash and appease creditors. First to go were the crown jewels, unique masterpieces like the Chevrolet Testudo, Lamborghini Marzal, and Lancia Stratos Zero. Those were sold at auction in 2011 and went to private collectors like Giorgetto Giugiaro himself, who purchased the Testudo he designed in 1963.
The "Big One" came in 2015.
This time, all the remaining 79 cars and prototypes from Bertone's collection were to go under the hammer, and the news generated a buzz loud enough to wake Italy's Ministry For Cultural Affairs from its slumber.
At the eleventh hour, the Bertone collection was declared an item of national interest: it couldn't be exported nor parted out.
ASI, the institutional entity that represents the classic car scene in Italy, ultimately won out with a bid of around 3.4 Million Euros. The Bertone collection was safe and in good hands... But where would ASI store and display 78 vehicles?
Well, at least until now, the answer has been Volandia, an aerospace museum located right in front of Malpensa Airport's Terminal 1.
The place itself is full of charm, as Volandia utilizes the site of the former Officine Caproni, Italy's premier aircraft manufacturer during the first half of the Twentieth Century. It would be worth a visit even if the Bertone cars weren't there if you ask me!
The Volandia museum: http://volandia.it/en/
The exclusive merchandise you can buy to support my channel: https://teespring.com/stores/roadster-life
My automotive books:
Six Appeal - The Story Of The Alfa 6
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1793931046
Alfa Romeo Giulietta - The Story 1977 - 1985
ENGLISH: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1983393746
ITALIAN: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B098GVJ7RK
Alfa Romeo Arna - The Full Story 1980 - 1987 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1656632500

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