Auto Design

The New Alfa Romeo 2008 MITO.

By Giancarlo Perini © – Photo Archivio Perini (c)

Alfa Romeo has launched its latest addition to its range. The Alfa Romeo MITO, the first new car developed after the hill-fate association with General Motors, an elephant that is too heavy to move fast enough to keep up with the market and that has forced Alfa Romeo to build bigger and heavier cars. Now Alfa Romeo is on its own (as part of the Fiat Automobiles Group) again and is committed to redesign and expand its range. Now, the Milan rooted carmakers has plans to launch nine new cars by 2011. Four of them are replacing the ones built from the platform developed with GM: the Alfa Romeo 159 sedan and wagon, the Brera Coupe, the AR Spider and what was supposed to be the SUV that might indeed never see the light of the day.

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BERTONE B.A.T. 11 UNVEILED IN GENEVA

IN “FUORI SALONE” STYLE .

By Giancarlo Perini © Photo: Archivio Perini ©.

From Car Styling magazine, issue 184, May 2008.

The other event that took place in Geneva, but not under the roof of the Motor Show, was the unveiling of the Bertone B.A.T. 11 at the La Sip nightclub, usually a reserve for Lesbians & Gays, but retained that night by the organisers for their “high level social networking” guests, whatever this means. An attitude that might explains why the event has modest sponsorships and is likely to keep sponsors away for some time.

Let’s make clear here that the clone of the original Automotive Designers Night, promoted and organised by Car Styling and his partners since the 1987 Tokyo Motor Show, has nothing to do with this “AutoDesignNight”.

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It looks modern, very dynamic, absolutely stylish and 100% Morgan. It has four motors but only weights 600 kg, before taking two adult passengers in its cosy cabin with wonderful seats made of sophisticated laminated wood. The basic facts says it comes with 200 kW of power, an estimated ratio of less than 3 kg per hp and the performance of a real sports car (o to 100 kph in 7 seconds) that perfectly fit with the heritage of Morgan Motor Co.

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Originally established in Milano back in 1926 by Felice Bianchi Anderloni and Gaetano Ponzoni, the Italian coachbuilder that became famous for its elegant and light cars went out of business some 40 years later. Now it is back under the leadership 8 and with the finance of Belgian car enthusiast Roland D’Ieteren, who also has acquired control of Ruote Borrani and Carrozzeria Granturismo via its own Zeta Europe B.V. holding company.
Their first new car is what they call the Bellagio Fastback Touring, a unique development of the Maserati Quattroporte into a dynamic station wagon.

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BMW M 1 Hommage

By Giancarlo Perini © – Photo: Archivio Perini ©

From Car Styling magazine, issue 185 – July 2008.

The Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este is absolutely about elegant life-style, friendly personal relations, heritage and – under the BMW drive – design. Here automotive beauties from the past meet the concept cars and design studies of the future. In few words, Como, Villa d’Este and the “Concorso d’Eleganza” were the perfect backdrop for the unveiling of the 2008 BMW M1 Homage. On the other hand, it is only natural that the opportunity to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the iconic 1978 BMW M1 was not missed by the German company that keeps supporting in every way the event. In fact, they did not miss the chance and unveiled, with a very surprising move, their BMW M1 Hommage design study.

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