Despite not being at the motor show Bertone still managed to generate a big impression with the unveiling of the B.A.T. 11 concept car at the first AutoDesignNight in downtown Geneva.

Bertone was unfortunately not present at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, representing their first absence from this important automotive event in over fifty years. Despite this, the Piedmont design company still managed to generate a big impression with the exclusive unveiling of the B.A.T. 11 concept car at the first AutoDesignNight in downtown Geneva on March 4. Based on a modified Alfa Romeo 8C platform, the B.A.T. 11 was unveiled by Marie-Jeanne Bertone and Chief Designer David Wilkie to an audience of 400 automotive designers at La Sip nightclub.

The stunning design is a modern evolution of the intriguing Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica cars of the mid to late ‘50s designed by Franco Scaglione. This latest evolution was commissioned by the American enthusiast Gary Kaberle over fifty years after the original B.A.T. series first stunned the motoring world with their futuristic designs.

Kaberle is well known as a former owner of B.A.T. 9 from 1963 to 1991. B.A.T. 9 is the third of the trio of B.A.T. cars, and which legend has it Kaberle purchased as a 16-year-old having saved money from running a popcorn stand and borrowing some extra cash from his grandparents.

Back in 2005 Kaberle outlined the new B.A.T. 11 ‘DK’ project in detail and presented the first styling proposals, prior to Bertone’s involvement, at the prestigious occasion of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. To add to the spice, all three of the original B.A.T. cars graced the lawns at this most exclusive Californian motoring event, providing the perfect backdrop for Kaberle to present his new project.

At the Concours Kaberle said, “This is 50 years to the time B.A.T. 9 was produced. There was originally a five, seven and a nine, so I'm doing an eleven - I'm trying to be Italian. I sold my car (B.A.T. 9) because my wife had breast cancer and I needed some money to pay for the treatment. Scaglione also had cancer and died a few weeks after my wife, so we're doing some things to dedicate the car to my wife and the Scaglione family, so the 'DK' is my wife's initials.”

B.A.T. 11’s flamboyant design is strongly evocative of the original B.A.T. cars with its tapered fins and faired in wheels, and like the later B.A.T. 9 also features strong Alfa Romeo DNA at the front. Similar to the Bertone Bella of 1999, the B.A.T. 11 presents a highly monolithic form, although introduces a simple dihedral bodyside section. The fins on the car begin from the front fenders and wrap tightly around the cockpit, extending to the top of the side windows. At the rear these wings are angled at nearly 45 degrees and also incorporate slim LED lighting units.

A stunning feature are the 21-inch wheels which present an intricate double layer of twisted spokes, the outer examples crafted from carbon fibre that, according to interior and wheel designer Gwen Pennarun, are a contemporary evolution of the classic Borrani knock-off wire wheels.

The unveiling was a highly emotional affair, representing quite a surprise to the many guest designers at the event. Contrary to the often blasé attitude of designers, all guests at the AutoDesignNight were delighted by the B.A.T. 11 and paid a remarkable amount of respect to Bertone Chief Designer David Wilke. The Bertone B.A.T. 11 goes to prove, that despite their ongoing struggle for production contracts and finance, Bertone is still one of the world’s leading design studios of automotive haute couture.