It is revival time also for Bertone, which will bring one of its most iconic models back into production: the Runabout. The original car was designed by Marcello Gandini in 1969 and will be built in a small limited series that will debut in mid-2026. The lines of the new car echo those of the original model and have been created by the team led by Andrea Mocellin, former creator of the Bertone GB110. ‘The new Runabout is not just a design object, but a celebration of the Italian tradition of spectacular sports cars, made for driving pleasure and joie de vivre,’ said Mocellin.
The new Runabout has been updated with slightly softer features than Gandini’s, an LED line running the full width of the front, two side mirrors and the possibility of having it in two versions: Targa, with a removable roof, or Barchetta, completely uncovered. The idea remains the same as the project of 55 years ago: to combine the concept of a car with that of a sports motorboat, creating a model without windscreen or roof that would put the occupants in contact with the outside world.
Under the bonnet of the new Runabout will be a 500 horsepower V6 petrol engine, nothing like the very compact 1,100 horsepower Fiat 128 mounted on the ‘69 Bertone Runabout that had just 55 horsepower. Times change, but enthusiasts will be happy to still have an internal combustion engine.
