Bertone, the Italian coachbuilder, has apparently filed for insolvency due to over-indebtedness, according to various sources. Employees have been made redundant and a quick rescue is not yet in sight.
Horror without end
Bertone was already on the brink of insolvency in 2008. But the company got back on its feet. But now the next major crisis is looming and perhaps the end.
The future of the long-established company is to be decided by the end of April. Eight interested parties are said to have registered for a possible takeover of the business. Either a serious buyer will be found or the doors will have to be closed for good.
The decline of the once influential Italian design company has been a long time coming, and the current situation is just the end of a long dry spell. The last major order for Bretone was the production of the Opel Astra convertible. The last smaller external order was the production of the limited special series of the Mini John Cooper Works Grand Prix.
Step-by-step task
After filing for insolvency in 2008, six prototypes from the Villa D'Este's own museum had to be auctioned off in 2011; others, if still owned by Bertone, will probably follow. The body plant in Grugliasco was transferred to Fiat in 2009.
The decline of the major Italian coachbuilders began in the 1960s, when Carrozzeria Touring was forced to close its doors and others followed. However, Bertone, one of the largest independent car manufacturing companies, is now on the brink of collapse.
A comprehensive report on the history of Bertone, published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the traditional company in 2012, can be found in the Zwischengas archive.
