Bertone Runabout – Tomorrow, As We Once Drew It
In the taut horizon of automotive design, history and tomorrow collide. Few cars occupy that threshold. The Bertone Runabout does. It carries a future once imagined in the middle decades of the twentieth century, a world of flying cars, personal aircraft, and cities traced in chrome and glass. The year 2000 as it existed in the minds of children in 1965.
Back then, tomorrow was geometric, unapologetically bold, and radiant with possibility. That sense of audacious optimism has not faded. It has been distilled, sharpened, and realized in 2026 as a car rendered in steel, carbon, and precise geometry.
The Runabout traces its lineage directly to Marcello Gandini’s 1969 concept at Bertone. Two gestures defined that original car: a forward-leaning wedge and a compact, truncated tail (coda tronca). Every line and proportion was calculated to convey motion, balance, and clarity. Andrea Mocellin and the contemporary Bertone Centro Stile have carried that heritage forward, interpreting the spirit of the original concept for modern engineering, materials, and mechanical precision. The Runabout is not a reproduction of history; it is a continuation, a translation of past imagination into a physical form that occupies both present and possibility.
The wedge stretches low, guiding the eye along clean, uninterrupted surfaces, while the truncated rear anchors the composition with sculptural discipline. The two defining gestures form a vocabulary of proportion and geometry that connects past vision with contemporary execution.
Two body configurations express the same architectural philosophy. The Barchetta is the most elemental. It features no fixed roof, a minimal windshield, and a cockpit low within a hull-shaped seat tub. The wedge flows uninterrupted from nose to tail, and the horizon aligns with the cockpit, integrating the space with the surroundings. Controls are positioned to maximize engagement, including a gated manual shifter and exposed mechanical components. The Targa adds a removable carbon roof that frames the cabin while preserving the wedge silhouette. With the roof in place, the car reads as a complete volume. With it removed, openness returns, but with a slightly more structured presence. Both configurations share identical proportions and geometry, offering two spatial interpretations of the same design language.
The interior is inspired by naval forms. A hull-shaped seat tub places occupants low, emphasising connection to the chassis and controls. A continuous horizontal dashboard reinforces width and composure. A central digital tachometer reduces visual clutter while retaining analog clarity. A nautical compass references the Runabout’s maritime roots. Materials are selected for functional and tactile qualities, including hand-finished leather, carbon-fibre seat shells, and precision-machined aluminium components. Every element emphasises reduction and purpose, creating a cabin that is sculptural, deliberate, and immersive.
Beneath the sculptural exterior, the mechanical architecture is engineered for engagement. A 3.5-liter supercharged V6 produces 475 horsepower and 490 Nm of torque, delivered through a six-speed manual gearbox. Rear-wheel drive channels power efficiently. Acceleration to 100 kilometres per hour occurs in 4.1 seconds, with a top speed of 270 kilometres per hour (168mph). The lightweight bonded aluminium chassis combined with carbon-fibre bodywork maintains rigidity while reducing mass. Suspension is double-wishbone with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars. Forged aluminium wheels and staggered tires enhance precision and balance. Every specification is selected to support tactile engagement rather than automated intervention.
Exclusivity is central to the Runabout. Only 25 units will be produced. Each is hand-finished through a bespoke process in which clients collaborate with Bertone’s Centro Stile, selecting materials, textures, and finishes. This modern coachbuilding continues Bertone’s century-long legacy, combining artistry with contemporary engineering and prototype capabilities.
The Runabout was unveiled at Rétromobile 2026, alongside the original 1969 concept and the Bertone GB110. Together, these vehicles form a visual dialogue across generations, linking the audacious experimentation of the past with contemporary execution.
The wedge, the truncated tail, and the taut, sculptural surfaces evoke the futurism of decades past. Shapes are geometric, precise, and suggestive of forward motion. Every line, every plane, and every proportion channels the energy of a past vision while remaining grounded in the realities of contemporary materials, proportion, and engineering.
Whether Barchetta or Targa, the Runabout communicates through form, proportion, and material execution. It demonstrates that history, imagination, and modernity can coexist without compromise. The car translates mid-century optimism into a tangible, mechanical reality, allowing the driver to inhabit a future once imagined, realized in steel, carbon, and aluminum.
Every element is distilled to essentials: wedge, coda tronca, naval interior, and engineered engagement. Nothing is superfluous. Proportion, geometry, and material execution define the experience. The Runabout does not narrate, it does not perform, it does not claim character. Its presence and clarity create a space in which the driver can inhabit a vision of the future that was once sketched, dreamed, and imagined. It is a tangible realization of audacious optimism, a bridge between past imagination and contemporary craft, fully grounded and undeniably present.
Further information: https://bertone.it/
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