Bertone’s final automotive work heads for auction

RM Sotheby’s will be holding a private auction soon dedicated to the Bertone Nuccio, the last supercar concept unveiled by Bertone before the company went bankrupt. Despite being a one-off design study, it has a functioning Ferrari powertrain and may sell for up to €500,000, experts estimate.

The prototype is a homage to Nuccio Bertone, the son of the company founder. It was originally unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 13 years ago (see video) and was believed to be a contemporary take on the Lancia Stratos Zero Concept also built by Bertone back in 1970. Both featured a tapered body shape, although the Nuccio had smoother outlines and numerous triangle motifs both in the exterior and the cabin. It also had normal hinged doors, unlike the Lancia.

At the next Beijing Auto Show, Bertone presented a drivable pre-production car on Ferrari F430 underpinnings. It was powered by the Italian car’s 4.3-liter V8 rated at 480 PS (473 hp / 353 kW) and had the same six-speed transmission. The designers who worked on the car didn’t even bother to come up with an original engine cover.

The Nuccio proceeded to tour multiple other auto shows and events as rumors began spreading that Bertone was trying, in vain, to find even just one buyer for it. Apparently, no one liked it for the price, and the current owner only grabbed it during a sale that followed the insolvency of the brand.

The coupe is now up for grabs in Europe once again. It has a solid 29,000 km (18,000 miles) on the counter, but the listing argues that most of the mileage was “likely” already on the donor F430 before the conversion. It praises its exterior design as one of the “most memorable” ever and an “important milestone” in Bertone’s recent history.