BERTONE
Industry: Automotive
Founded: 1919 Turin, Italy
Founder: Giovanni Bertone
Headquarter:Milan (Bertone Design); Turin (to 2014), Italy
Services: Building prototypes and cars
Website: http://www.bertonedesign.it/en/
Gruppo Bertone, commonly known simply as Bertone, was an Italian automobile company, which specialized in car styling, coachbuilding and manufacturing. Bertone has styled cars for Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Citroën, Ferrari, FIAT, Iso, Lancia, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Opel and Volvo, among others.
After its bankruptcy, the Bertone name was retained by some of its former employees who continued as a Milan-based design company, Bertone Design.
Giovanni Bertone started a carriage manufacturing business in Turin, at the age of 28. 1920 at the end of the First World War, Bertone's business restarted and expanded its activities, and began focusing on the automotive sector.
The depression of 1929 had brought many Turin carmakers to their knees, Giovanni Bertone's management allowed the company to carry on creating cars with appeal.
1940 With the outbreak of the Second World War, the car market experienced a drastic downturn.
The 1950s brought in the first orders from countries other than Italy, in particular from MG and Bristol Cars Limited in 1952. The 1960s were the years of the Italian-style GT.
In 1972, at the age of 88, Giovanni Bertone died.
On 26 February 1997, on the evening of the Geneva Motor Show, Nuccio Bertone died. His widow, Lilli Bertone, took over management of the company.
2010 the financial turmoil however continued, leading it to sell off some of its treasured collection of concept cars in 2011.
After having ceased trading because of financial difficulties, Bertone on 18 March 2014 confirmed that it will be declared bankrupt if a suitable buyer was not found by the end of April. In May 2013 the license rights of the brand were granted by Bertone Cento to Bertone Design.
