Auto Design

Eventually, the day to show what Jason Castriota can deliver when left on his own (and his team) and free to run the show, with all the freedom and confidence that Bertone has traditionally assured to his designers. Nuccio Bertone designed cars with his imagination and confidence in his team. He created fanous designers and I am sure he would have given a chance to Jason.

It is good that this tradition has been maintained, on this occasion, by Marie Jeanne Bertone. Jason Castriota is showing great passion, a great deal of competence and perhaps an excess of commitment, a certain fear of “not doing enough” and the consequent tendency of overdoing it. He wanted to make sure his first work, as a “fully independent” designer, would go do in the history book as something truly spectacular.

To some extent he has succeded, the Stile Bertone Mandite is absolutely spectacular, even though though the first impression is that we are not looking as something as strong and innovative as a Lamborghini Countach or a Lancia Stratos, nor something beautiful and elegant as the Lamborghini Miura. What I am looking at, right now, is a set of photo-shopped colour pictures of the “styling model” shipped to China three weeks ago, and at some poor images from the Shanghai Motor Show. In three days I shall see the real car in daylight. Only after that I will share with you my opinion on this Mantide, her high up back and its design.

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