After a couple of years spent mainly turning out highly individualised conversions based on the Mini theme, Carrozzeria Castagna will present the new 'Gran Tourer Sport' concept car at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show on 1st March.

No specific information has as yet been released by the firm about the Gran Tourer Sport, but it is set to build on Castagna's historic reputation for building distinctive, one-off, beautifully handcrafted cars that are created today in the finest traditions of the historic Milanese coachbuilder. This new sporty-looking concept car contains many styling cues which have been adopted by Castagna ever since its rebirth just a decade ago, including sharp flowing overall lines and neat treatment for the exhaust tail pipes, which are blended in with the distinct styling of cars which were built during the golden age of the Gran Tourer.

Founded in 1849 by Carlo Castagna, the famous coachbuilding firm reached the peak of its glory days between 1920 and 1930 when it produced a memorable string of gleaming custom-built automobiles assembled on the best chassis of the era.
 

Highly exclusive and sought-after, these Castagna-crafted cars won many coveted awards at the biggerst Concours d’elegance events and the era’s most prestigious salons. Fine models became legends in their own time, like the gorgeous Coupè de Ville built on the Isotta Fraschini chassis and driven by the legendary chauffeur Erich Von Stroheim to carry Gloria Swanson and William Holden along Sunset Boulevard.

A decade ago Italian businessman Gioacchino Acampora revived the name of the famous Carrozzeria Castagna by presenting an unusual Alfa Romeo 75-based prototype in Geneva, the Vittorio', after purchasing the right to the historical name. After a quiet period Acampora bounced back at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show with two concepts. Castagna re-worked the dashboard controls of the 1995 Auge concept, a four-seat custom body based around a Maserati 3200GT chassis, while the all new G.C. was a two-door, two-seater custom-body based an Alfa Romeo chassis with rear wheel drive.

During the show the Milanese coachbuilder also offered a glimpse of their next project, the 'Rossellini'. This stylish Barchetta was dedicated to the great Italian director Roberto Rossellini, a real Ferrari enthusiast, who personally ordered a number of coachbuilt Ferraris. Most famous among them being the 375 Mille Miglia, often to be seen with Ingrid Bergmann at the wheel. Although some photographs have been released this concept sportscar has never been presented at a major motor show.

At the Geneva Motor Show in 2004, Castagna showed off their next project, the 'Miniwagon', a Mini that incorporated a new luxury interior and which was clothed with a 1970's style 'Countryman'  wood trim finish. This soon spawned a whole host of highly detailed special versions, including the chop-top 'Tender' and a pick-up.