Giovanni Bertone established a carriage manufacturing business in Turin at the age of 28. After a hiatus during the First World War, he reopened a plant in 1920 and began securing automotive contracts, including a torpedo-styled body for the SPA 23S and the FIAT 501 Sport Siluro Corsa. During the 1920s, Bertone created bodywork for manufacturers such as Lancia, Itala, and Diatto. Notable early designs included the 1924 Fiat 505 limousine and the 1928 Lancia Lambda VIII Series.
In 1933, Giovanni’s son, Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone, joined the company. During the Second World War, the firm pivoted to military production, including ambulances built on the Lancia Artena chassis. Following the war, Nuccio Bertone took charge, eventually dividing the company into two specialized units: Carrozzeria for manufacturing and Stile Bertone for styling.
The company’s historical reputation was largely defined by the successive lead designers who headed Stile Bertone.
Under the direction of Giorgetto Giugiaro, Bertone produced several high-profile GT models, including the Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint, the Aston Martin DB4 GT 'Jet', and the Maserati 5000 GT. Giugiaro also designed the Iso Rivolta GT 300 and the Iso Grifo, which included a racing version known as the A3C. Other significant works from this period included the 1963 Chevrolet Testudo, the 1964 Alfa Romeo Canguro, and the 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia GT.
Marcello Gandini succeeded Giugiaro in 1965, initiating a period of radical design. His partnership with Ferruccio Lamborghini resulted in the Lamborghini Miura, the Marzal (1967), and the Espada (1968). Gandini was also responsible for the 1967 Alfa Romeo Montreal and the Fiat Dino Coupé. In 1968, he designed the Carabo concept car, based on an Alfa 33 chassis, which influenced automotive aesthetics for years. His later work for the firm included the Lamborghini Jarama, the Lamborghini Urraco, and the 1982 Citroën BX.
In 1956, Bertone produced the Abarth 750 Record, which set ten world records at Monza. The company’s manufacturing capacity grew significantly with the 1957 contract for the NSU Sport Prinz. A new plant in Grugliasco opened in 1959 to accommodate this growth.
The 1965 launch of the Fiat 850 Spider marked a major commercial milestone; Bertone produced approximately 140,000 units through 1972. By 1970, the workforce had reached 1,500 staff. Following the death of Giovanni Bertone in 1972, the company released the Maserati Khamsin and the Fiat X1/9. The X1/9, a mid-rear-engine sports car, saw a production run of 160,000 units ending in 1988. During the 1980s and 1990s, Bertone handled production for the Fiat Ritmo Cabrio, the Opel Kadett Cabrio, and the Fiat Punto Cabrio. In 1994, the company presented the Zero Emission Record (ZER) electric vehicle.
By 2009, financial difficulties led Bertone to sell its Grugliasco plant and manufacturing operations to FIAT. The company underwent restructuring, focusing on a smaller team of engineers and designers. To maintain operations, several concept cars from the company's collection were sold in 2011. Bertone ceased trading and was declared bankrupt in 2014. The remaining museum collection was transferred to the Automotoclub Storico Italiano and Volandia.
The Bertone brand was later acquired by AKKA Technologies in 2016. In 2020, the brand was sold to Mauro and Jean-Franck Ricci. The Ricci brothers revived the name in 2022, launching the GB110, a limited-edition vehicle that was publicly unveiled at Top Marques Monaco in June 2024.
Motorcycle Designs
Lambretta Luna Range: Lui/Vega/Cometa (1968)
Lambretta GP/DL (1969)
Vehicles Produced by Bertone (External Design)
Volvo 262C (1977–1981)
Fiat Punto Cabrio (1995–1999)
BMW C1 (2000–2003)
Mini Cooper GP (2006)
Notable Styling Directors
Giovanni Bertone (1912–1945)
Franco Scaglione (1952–1959)
Giorgetto Giugiaro (1959–1965)
Marcello Gandini (1965–1979)
Marc Deschamps (1979–1992)
Luciano D'Ambrosio (1992–2001)
Michael Vernon Robinson (2009–2013)
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