Russia celebrates Italian design with an exclusive exhibition dedicated to an icon: Nuccio Bertone. “Car Design: Nuccio Bertone. One Hundred Years of Italian Style – Coupé models ”was inaugurated at the Museum of Architecture and Design in Ekaterinburg on 7 July, on the occasion of Italy Design Day, and will remain on schedule until 1 August. This is one of the initiatives planned for the Italian cultural week that the Italian Embassy in Moscow, the Italian Cultural Institute in Moscow and Enit have organized in conjunction with the Innoprom event, which sees Italy as a country guest of honor with the participation of 61 Italian technology companies.
The exhibition is a tribute to Italian automotive design through one of the most important architects in the history of automotive design: moreover, a century of activity, the Turin-based Bertone body shop has signed models that have entered the history of the automobile and of design, from the first cars signed by Giovanni Bertone , founder of the company, to the story of excellence, creative exploration and evolution of the concept cars wanted by his son Nuccio. From Lamborghini to Maserati through Fiat and Alfa Romeo (but also Opel, Citroen, Bmw and Lancia), the iconic models that bear Bertone’s signature are innumerable, and the exhibition curated by Enzo Fornaro focuses on coupé models made between the years’ 50 of the last century and 2012, the year of Bertone’s centenary.
The Mauto, National Automobile Museum, is a partner of the event and has lent three fBertone models from its collection: the 1954 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint designed by Mario Boano and Franco Scaglione, the 1954 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint for the creation of the coupé, donated to the Museum by Nuccio Bertone himself, and the Iso Rivolta Lele F from 1972, designed by Marcello Gandini.
In addition to the Mauto cars, the Alfa Romeo Montreal, designed by Marcello Gandini and presented as a dream car at the 1967 Montreal Universal Exposition, and the Lamborghini Espada, a very particular style interpretation of a generously sized coupé, will be exhibited. fashion magazines of the time described it as “a luxury living room that runs at 250 per hour”. Also on display is the Nuccio concept car, created to celebrate Bertone’s centenary and presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012. All cars that come from the Bonfanti Mivar Museum in Bassano del Grappa and from the Lopresto Collection.
Alongside the cars there is also a collection of drawings and photographs that allow you to retrace the journey of Italian automotive design made by Bertone in over one hundred years of activity. A few examples: a portrait of Nuccio Bertone made by Giorgetto Giugiaro made available by the Nuccio Bertone Foundation, some drawings from the Italian State Archives, part of the historic Bertone Archives, such as the “sketches” that accompanied the presentation of the new models and drawings design. And then some special memories related to car races, for which Bertone has designed highly successful models, first of all the legendary Lancia Stratos, accompanied by the suits with which Munari and Mannucci triumphed in the Monte Carlo rallies, and by that of Giorgio Pianta, victorious with the Fiat 131 Abarth; again, the Innocenti Lambretta Lui scooter, born from the pencil of Marcello Gandini in 1968.
