The art of coachbuilding preceded the automobile industry by about two-and-a-half centuries. With its origins in horse-drawn carriages, the craft became highly specialized by the mid-1800s and the automobile industry, too, began tapping third-party stylists once cars became mass-produced in the early 20th century.
A paragon of Italian craftsmanship, Bertone made the switch from carriages to cars after World War I when marques like Fiat and Lancia tapped the coachbuilder to design their signature saloon bodies. At its height in the ‘60s, the brand would become responsible and most known for models like the Lamborghini Miura and Espada, as well as a slew of concept cars for Alfa Romeo, even building a few concepts of its own later on, including the Bertone Blitz in 1992, which went 0 to 60 in 6 seconds off of a pair of 36hp battery engines.
Now, Bertone has its eyes set on innovation once again with its first production car since the ‘80s. The GB110 hypercar is not only styled by one of the most famous design firms in the world — blending aesthetics from the ‘50s and ‘70s for its first hypercar — but is also the first high-performance vehicle to run on fuel made out of plastic waste. Bertone partners with Select Fuel, whose patented technology can convert polycarbonate materials into renewable fuel. The GB110’s combustion engine will boast 1,100hp and 812lb.ft of max torque, with a top speed of over 236mph.
Only 33 examples will be made in total, but the GB110 is only the beginning for Bertone, who has stated the new hypercar will be the first in a series of limited-edition vehicles.
