STILE BERTONE MANTIDE AT 2 MILLIONS DOLLARS!!

According to some reports, Stile Bertone has stated that it plans to accept up to ten orders for their Corvette ZR1 Mantide “one off”, each carrying a price tage of 2 million dollars. That is some 1.6 million euros, just 0.1m euros higher than the price Jason Castriota mentioned when I talked to him at the Villa d’Este Concorso a couple of weeks ago. The add-on is probably the price of the full-optional ZR1 serving as the starting point for their job.

Yet, I wonder if the two million dollars price is right? In my opinion, it would right price for a one off, even if I know a lot of people in the Turin area that can build a completely original one-off for a third (or little more).
Two million dollars that is what the conversion of A Ferrari Enzo into THE (one and only) Ferrari Pininfarina P4/5 cost. The third million dollars spent by the owner, paid for the original car.

If these figures, the only ones published so far, are right, something is not quite right with the price of the Mantide, if it is built in a limited series of 10. This means that the car is ten times less exclusive and even if two of them are sold in each of the five continents any buyer risk to cross into the other car, which is embarassing when you have spent this sort of money. If Stile Bertone succeed in building, homologating (this is where the extra cost might be) and selling them, one can only congratulate them. It wil prove that the design is absolutely right (perfectly fulfilling its mission) and that Stile Bertone has excellent business men. If they do not succeed the story will have to be updated and re-written.

PORSCHE TYPE 64 BERLIN-ROME CAR, 1939!!

In autumn 1938, the plans for the high-speed Berlin-Rome road race announced by the National Socialist regime for 1939 were going full steam ahead. For this event, several automobile manufacturers designed special racing versions based on series cars and with streamlined bodies.

The Porsche design studio received approval from Berlin to build three racing coupes named Type 64 or VW 60 K 10 for Volkswagen. Coachbuilder Reutter manufactured the aluminum bodies. In order to permit a narrow hard top, the driver’s seat was virtually in the middle of the vehicle, so that the passenger had to sit on an emergency seat offset obliquely behind. All four wheel-arches were covered and those at the front had rollers on the inside so that they could be pushed out by the wheels, when the driver turned the steering wheel.

Two spare wheels were located at the front of the car, one behind the other, whereas engine and gearbox were mounted as a rear engine like the VW Beetle and the later Porsche 356 Series.

FIORAVANTI - IDEA - ITALDESIGN HAVE NEW CARS FOR GENEVA!!

I.de.a. Institute Era for the Geneva Motor Show.

All mouths are kept shout in Turin about what the Italian coachbuilder will be showing at the Geneva Motor Show, early next month, but it is already clear that Fioravanti, Italdesign and Zagato will be showing a world-première whereas Idea and Pininfarina will be displaying something “deja vu” but further developed. Pininfarina will take its ultimate development of the Bolloré Zero electric four door, four seater, all-round-city- sedan in new colour scheme and with a more sophisticated interior design.

On their turn, I.de.a Institute (owned by a Swiss industrial group) will be participating to the Geneva Show for the first time in many years. They will exhibit a number of project, the main one being the running prototype of their light-weight, two-seater, open-air ERA sport car, which has been rumoured to be the basis for a all-new Abarth.

Italdesign-Giugiaro is expected to surprise in one-way or the other with a stunning proposal of a high performance but green Supercar banking on the latest hybrid technology that would show Ferrari the direction for the sport car of the future. It is certainly non a Ferrari but according to early rumours it might bear the badge of a carmaker that operates in the vicinity. Other sources report of a retrodesign inspired to cars designed in the mid-sixties. Although rather unexpected the move would be rather intriguing and would certainly produce a lot of discussions if not controversy.

Fioravanti is reportedly committed to make a strong statement of what Italian car design stands for, with a new design that bank on extreme and sophisticated simplicity.

Zagato will celebrate their 90th anniversary this year and they want to do it in grand style, also to reassure that - with their new Indian partner - they are committed to keep the tradition of typically Italian high performance GT. In Geneva they will be showing a powerful two-seater-coupé of impression dimensions and with a very generous powerplant. According to my sources it is a big V8 and from a brand the company has never worked on. If I match the news that several offers have been presented to Chrysler for their Viper project, we might well see a all-newViper in “Zagato Style”. Let me stress this is only my assumption, nothing more.

Wondering about Bertone? Come back tomorrow at this time and I shall be able to update you.

Ciao.