The Petrolhead Corner: The Bertone Runabout – Monochrome Watches

Few design institutions have left such a lasting mark on automotive design than Bertone. Just going through the studio’s palmares reveals some absolute masterpieces. The Alfa Romeo B.A.T. series, the Lamborghini Marzal, and the Lancia Stratos Zero, for instance. And those are just design studies, concept cars that would influence production cars further down the road. Bertone was the mastermind behind the Lamborghini Miura and Countach, the Alfa Romeo Montreal, the Fiat 131 Abarth, the Iso Grifo, and so on. On the more mundane, down-to-earth side of things, the Italian firm has also penned the Opel/Vauxhall Astra G-series coupe and convertible. Now though, after more than half a century, one of their more striking concept cars is entering production, albeit in low numbers. This is the 2026 Bertone Runabout, a delightfully restyled blast from the past!

The Bertone studio was founded as Carrozzeria Bertone, a coach-building company, in 1912 by Giovanni Bertone. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, his son Nuccio Bertone took over control of the company, and split activities into Carrozzeria for manufacturing purposes, and Stile Bertone for styling exercises. The company had a long and illustrious run of automotive design success, with many iconic cars stemming from the studio, but it wasn’t to last. In 2014 the company went bust and was dismantled into several activities. The current owners, brothers Mauro and Jean-Franck Ricci announced that the Bertone name would be used for a series of limited-edition vehicles. The first project was the GB110, unveiled in 2022 and essentially a re-bodied Lamborghini Huracán with a 1,109bhp twin-turbo V10 in the rear. The Runabout is the second one, kicking off the Bertone Classic series, which aims to bring back some of the design house’s greatest designs.

Gandini’s edge

Now, it must be said that the design house responsible for most of the aforementioned cars is Bertone, but the man who actually penned most of them when working there is Marcello Gandini. Sadly passing away earlier this year, Gandini is widely regarded as one of the most influential car designers in history, often redefining style and introducing new concepts and perspectives to the field.

The Lancia Stratos Zero concept car

The Lancia Stratos Zero concept car

His work is often characterized by sharp lines and edgy contours. But where most attention might go to the drop-dead gorgeous Miura, the mighty Countach or the radical Lancia Stratos Zero, Gandini didn’t limit himself to exotics. He’s also penned the Citroën BX, the Innocenti Mini, the first-generation Volkswagen Polo, and the second-generation Renault 5 ‘Supercinq’ (although not working for Bertone when he designed it). And yes, as you’ve probably guessed by now, the original Runabout is also one of his creations.

Autobianchi A112 runabout

The lineage of this ‘new’ Bertone Runabout starts with the Autobianchi A112, the compact Italian alternative to the Mini. It’s hard to imagine the boxy compact being the stepping stone to the Runabout, but it was completely overhauled and altered to become the small open-top two-seater. For instance, the engine would be placed in the back and was mounted transversal, similar to the Miura that Bertone/Gandini designed just a couple of years earlier.

The Autobianchi A112 Runabout made its public debut during the 1969 Turin Auto Show. The design was inspired by racing boats of the 1960s, resulting in a sharp wedge-shaped design with a relatively long overhang up front, and a short cut-off tail section. The front section of the car is barely taller than the front wheels, and the profile was split by a tapering maroon centre line. Flaired wheel arches, low-level wind deflector a forward-angled roll hoop and pronounced nacelle headlights finish off the striking design. Getting in was a matter of simply stepping over the bodywork, as it featured a door-less construction.

Although it was named A112, the Runabout would not use the A112s engine but instead was fitted with a Fiat 1.1 litre straight-four engine with about 55 horsepower. That doesn’t sound overly impressive, but the Runabout didn’t put much on the scale, as it weighed considerably less than a metric ton. Although I couldn’t confirm the car’s actual weight, the A112 it was based on weighed just 670kgs, which put things in perspective. Fun fact, the A112 Runabout would serve as the blueprint for Fiat’s compact X1/9 sports coupe that was introduced in 1972!

Barchetta or Targa

Fast forward to 2024, and we’re happy to report that the quirky little Runabout is finally entering production, albeit in low volumes and at a considerable price. And a massive power boost by the way, as it’s no longer powered by an inline-4! But I’m getting ahead of myself. While the original Autobianchi A112 Runabout was a pure Barchetta, meaning ‘little boat’ in Italian, the new Bertone Runabout comes in the form of a Barchetta or a Targa. Each owner will have the option of keeping it close to the roofless original, or to include a larger windshield and a roof structure with removable panels.

The overall design is updated from the 1969 concept car, which means the nacelle lights have sadly been sacrificed. I doubt EU regulators would be happy with those, so it was to be expected. Instead, the Runabout now features an LED strip integrated into the red accent line up front, and pop-up headlights on top.

The roll hoop has been smoothed out and integrated into the body a bit more. And where the original featured zero doors, the Bertone Runabout has grown a pair, which makes things a lot more practical in everyday life. Details such as the air intake in front of the rear wheels, the vertical slats in the rocker panel and the short cut-off rear deck are still there though.

Under the engine cover, there’s a rear-mounted V6 pumping out 500 horsepower. There’s no word on engine capacity or where it even comes from at the moment, but it’s said to “preserve the character of a nimble, light-footed driving machine”. Just two people can enjoy the experience of running about in the Runabout at once, taking a seat in the red and grey leather-clad interior. Production is scheduled to commence in 2026, and the prices for the Bertone Runabout start at EUR 350,000.

For more information, please visit Bertone.it.

Editorial Note: The information used and images sourced for this article are provided by and used with the permission of Bertone unless stated otherwise.