A real novelty is currently looking for a new owner on the international auction site eBay, it being an exact replica of Bertone's stunning Stratos Zero concept which was used in recently-deceased pop star Michael Jackson for a video in the eighties and which was commissioned when he reportedly was unable to secure use of the original.

Currently at auction is a carbon-copy of the stunning one-off Stratos Zero concept car; it featured prominently in Jackson's 1988 movie "Moonwalker". In the movie scene -  the eccentric singer becomes trapped in an alley (chased by "Mr.Big" - played by Joe Pesci), and escapes by metamorphisising into the Stratos Zero, and zooming off amidst smoke and fire, then returning and changing back into himself. Jackson reportedly demanded that the Stratos Zero concept car be used in the movie. While the original prototype was not used, this re-creation was made for the movie. According to the vendor this movie car was recently restored in England, made fully driveable, and re-painted orange to replicate the original concept car, as it appeared in the 1970 Turin Auto Show, where it shocked the crowds.

In terms of car design, the most original idea to come out of 1970 was a futuristic prototype by the name of Stratos Zero, fruit of Bertone inspiration. It all started with the idea of mounting the engine block from a Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF on a new base. The engine was centrally-mounted in a lowered position, and the suspensions and steering elements were designed according to a revolutionary line, breaking out of any known set moulds. The result is a flowing shape which tapers in sharply at both ends, 358 cm long and just 84 cm high. The presence of the four wheels is the only conceptual link to the contemporary idea of an automobile. The marked shaping of the wings, which accentuate the wedge-shape of the body, and the triangular motif of the roof, and air vents, all serve to underline its stylistic divide from the classic elements of car design.

The technical features employed are astounding: the double side windows, the front and rear lights, and the access to the car with the entire front of the vehicle opening up to let the driver literally walk up to the driving seat. The "Stratoline" as Nuccio Bertone had initially christened it, goes beyond an exercise in design, to represent a global reworking of the actual concept of what makes a car.

The replica Stratos Zero used in the movie, according to the eBay website, is based on a Fiat X1/9 and fitted with its mid-mounted 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine, rack and pinion steering, MacPherson struts and disc brakes all round. It reportedly has 356 miles on the clock, is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and currently has attracted no bids that meet the vendor's US$100,600 reserve price.