The image released by I.DE.A today as part its Geneva build up shows that the ERA concept has undergone significant visual changes since its debut last year.

After a ten-year absence, I.DE.A. Institute returns to the International Motor Show in Geneva to present ERA, its latest concept car, that was first previewed last summer, and is a symbol of an invigorated I.DE.A Institute.

With the final touches now complete, the ERA will be officially unveiled at the 79th International Motor Show in Geneva following its first debut in Turin last May, on an occasion that marked the company’s thirtieth anniversary.

ERA is a two-seater roadster expressing continuity with the past and at the same time symbolising a company on its way to a new future. Brought to life by a creative team of young designers and skilled model and show car builders, ERA represents a new phase for I.DE.A Institute, strengthened by the experience and synergies of its parent company, the Swiss multinational Rieter.

The concept car features gull-wing doors opening onto a simple yet effective interior with its visible tubular structure. ERA’s shape has been sketched instinctively: its smooth curves, proportions, elegance and personality all come to life from taut yet harmonious lines giving the car its elegant but powerful appearance. ERA is a contemporary interpretation of that classic “Italian Style” that is much appreciated the world over.

The ERA show car and I.DE.A Institute’s presence at the 79th International Motor Show in Geneva next month are both tangible signs of the new spirit driving the company forward. "With ERA we are looking to the future: this is just the first in a series of models we are creating to reaffirm our design capabilities," commented Pietro Lardini, the Chairman of I.DE.A Institute.

The I.DE.A Institute has an annual turnover of 40 million euros and around 400 employees. Since 2000 I.DE.A. Institute has been part of the multinational Rieter Group with its headquarters in Winterthur Switzerland, with some 15,000 employees worldwide and 2008 sales of per 3.14 billion Swiss Francs. During the 30 years since its foundation, I.DE.A Institute has become a global company with operations in Europe, Asia and South America.