What was for many a “dream factory” is on the verge of closing its doors. 102 years later, Bertone sees the end of the line announced.
The birthplace of some of the most iconic models of all times, the Bertone, is in a very delicate situation. After Bertone's head of design, Michael Robinson, stepped down before Christmas 2013, Bertone has entered a sea of uncertainty.
Despite having closed the year with a turnover of 20 million euros, largely thanks to its Chinese customers, it is a low value considering Bertone's accumulated liabilities. After having laid off 160 workers who had not received their salary for several months, rumors indicate that Bertone is no longer accepting orders due to lack of access to material, due to prolonged non-compliance with its suppliers.
According to our colleagues at Autocar, court actions have already been brought against Bertone by its suppliers, who claim late payments. Bertone's difficult financial situation has been public for a few months now, and despite the various interested parties that appeared to want to acquire the company, no deal came to fruition.
Bertone brought to the world iconic models such as the Lamborghini Countach, Lamborghini Miura, Lancia Stratos, Iso Grifo, among many others. 102 years later, we have witnessed the fall of an icon. The landing of Bertone's pencil is the sad end of an era, hopefully it manages to rise again.
