italiaspeed.com

There was a graphic reminder of Bertone's long and rich history as a design studio at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this month when the Alfa Romeo 33-based Carabo and Navajo concept sports cars were displayed to much acclaim. Photos: Jonny White.

The long-running saga of the bankrupt Gruppo Bertone took another dramatic turn today as Fiat Group confirmed that it has placed a non-binding offer to buy the Turinese firm's contract manufacturing division, Carrozzeria Bertone. Fiat's bid is one of five reported offers that have so far been received for Carrozzeria Bertone by the court appointed administrators that took over control of the failed firm from Nuccio Bertone's widow, Lilli, last January.

"We have submitted a manifestation of interest," a Fiat spokesman said today. Also in the frame to buy the division - according to the Italian media - are two experienced Italian turnaround specialists, Domenico Reviglio and Gianmario Rossignolo, both who attempted to take control in the period just before the administrators took charge last January as well as Lilli Bertone, Chinese automaker FAW Group, and an unidentified consortium. Bids have to be placed by close of business Thursday with the winner being announced before the end of the month.

The history of Gruppo Bertone, one of the world's most famous design and contract manufacturing names - which was founded as Carrozzeria Bertone in 1912 - has faded from its glory days to a standstill in recent years. Nuccio Bertone passed away in 1997 leading his widow in control of the firm's destiny. The production lines of its long-time factory in Grugliasco, Turin have been idle since a contract to upgrade 2,000 MINI models (to top John Cooper Works Grand Prix specification) ran to a conclusion more than two years ago. Before that its last major work was building the convertible version of GM Europe's last-generation Vauxhall/Opel Astra model, this contract ended in late 2005.

As Lilli Bertone battled to save the Carrozzeria in the last few years attempts to drum up new business included more fanciful proposals to start up limited production of the failed British sportscar maker TVR at the Grugliaso plant, as well as assembling a new sports car for BMW, and talk that Dutch supercar maker Spyker could use Bertone to build its planned large luxury SUV. Strenuous efforts to persuade Fiat of the merits of a production version of Bertone's Suagnà concept car, a folding hardtop 'coupé-convertible' which was based on the Fiat Grande Punto architecture, under the Lancia brand name. Bertone also talked with the Chinese automaker Zhejiang Gonow Automobile about the construction of SUVs and pickups.

With its workers taking advantage of the Italian government's temporary redundancy payment scheme, Bertone applied for bankruptcy protection in late November 2007, although the process staggered on until the beginning of January last year when Lili Bertone surprised everyone by announcing that she had signed an option to sell the struggling group to Domenico Reviglio, the founder of Gruppo Prototipo. The news was completely unexpected as negotiations to sell Gruppo Bertone to former Telecom Italia and Zanussi President Gianmario Rossignolo were at that point entering the final stages. This unexpected announcement saw the family quickly fall into acrimony and Lilli's daughters Marie-Jeanne and Barbara (who had been appointed Managing-Director of Carrozzeria Bertone in May 2007 by Lilli Bertone who later sacked her) began communicating with their mother through their lawyers. However the bankruptcy court was unimpressed by the viability of the proposals put forward by Reviglio and Lilli Bertone was removed from control of the Group as a trio of administrators were appointed by the tribunal to take charge and find a buyer. Late last year the Group's other key division, Stile Bertone, the famous historic Italian design studio, was detached and placed into the hands of Marie-Jeanne Bertone.