Abarth 1500 Biposto 1952
The Abarth 1500 Biposto was an experimental coupe designed by Franco Scaglione, who worked for Bertone at the time. It was displayed at the 1952 Turin Motor Show. Following the Turin Show, it was purchased by Packard and brought to Detroit, where it was used for design inspiration.
The Biposto was given to motoring journalist Dick Smith in mid-1953 as his prize for suggesting a new Packard advertising slogan. Smith sparingly drove the car for two decades, before putting it into storage. It did not reappear until put up for auction in 2003.
It features a futuristic design consisting of a central headlight, similar to the earlier Tucker Torpedo, and fins in the rear. The design is believed to have paved the way for the Alfa Romeo BAT series of concept cars.
Following the advances made in aircraft engineering throughout the Second World War, aerodynamics began to be applied to the world of car design.
One car that typifies this new idealogy is the B.A.T. series designed by Bertone in the 1950s. B.A.T. stands for Berlinetta Aerodinamica Technica.
The most famous of these are the B.A.T. 5, 7 and 9, but the forerunning car was the Abarth 1500 Biposto coupé, displayed at the 1952 Turin Motor Show.
Later called the B.A.T. 1, this car was based on a Fiat, unlike the later models which were based on Alfa Romeos. The 1.5 L engine powering the car was tuned up to 73 BHP.
The greatest impact this car had was of course its styling, a piece of work by the famed designer Franco Scaglione, a newcomer to Bertone at the time. The car not only showcases his aerodynamic engineering skills, but is a mixture of stunning originality and cutting-edge style.
The front of this car is an unforgettable sight, with triple headlights protruding forward with dynamic air intakes situated in-between. The large rear window is a two-part design, separated by a thin center pillar, and melds gracefully into the rear section. The rear wings sport accented vertical tail fins that would become an extremely popular design feature in American cars in later years.
Known internally as the 'Tipo 1500', the new Abarth featured a bespoke boxed-steel platform chassis, housing the Fiat mechanicals. It was equipped with double wishbones at the front and a live rear axle. Power came from a slightly enlarged Fiat 1400 engine, which was of course fitted with an Abarth tuning kit. In this trim it produced 75 bhp, which was a considerable improvement over the 44 bhp produced by the stock engine. A four speed gearbox completed the package.
Only one of these cars was ever produced, and was purchased by the Packard Motor Car Company after the Turin Motor Show. Although it remained hidden from the world for many years since, Mr. Chris Drake from the UK fully restored the car in recent years and presented it at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in the summer of 2010, where it received the Gran Turismo Trophy.