Abarth 1500 Biposto Bertone, the brand's inaugural concept car

Presented at the 1952 Turin Motor Show, it can be considered the first car of the preparation workshop founded by Carlo Abarth.

By: Gianmarco Gori

Oct 17, 2023 at 7:00am ET

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The Abarth 1500 Biposto Bertone was presented at the 1952 Turin Motor Show. It was a sports car designed by Franco Scaglione for the coachbuilder Bertone, intended to serve as an inspiration for future production.

It also served to launch the new brand founded by Carlo Abarth in 1949 and can be considered the forerunner of the B.A.T. (Berlinette Aerodinamiche Tecniche), i.e. the aerodynamic sports cars made by the same coachbuilder for various Italian manufacturers to test the aerodynamics and engines of the future.

Aerodynamic design

Looking at the aluminium bodywork, it is clear that the Abarth 1500 Biposto Bertone was created with as little air resistance as possible in mind. To achieve this, the famous Italian designer chose to equip the bodywork with some innovative solutions for the time, such as specific wheel arches and a windscreen curved at the sides.

These two revolutionary elements were combined in a new ultra-light chassis on which a Fiat-derived four-cylinder engine was installed. The engine was boosted in true Abarth style, with the displacement increased to 1.5 litres and capable of delivering up to 75 bhp, thanks to a new intake manifold and twin Weber carburettors.

Abarth 1500 Biposto Bertone

Unique and timeless

Due to the very high production costs that such a rounded body would have entailed, Abarth decided to keep the 1500 Biposto as a one-off and not to mass-produce it.

According to what the company later reported, the curved windscreen and the rear window, in particular, would have been very costly, as the appropriate production techniques were not yet known at the time.

Abarth 1500 Biposto Bertone

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But what became of it over the years? In 1952, also during the Turin Motor Show, two entrepreneurs from the American company Packard, Bill Graves and Edward Macauley, bought the car.

The following year, in 1953, it was sold to journalist Dick Smith, who kept it and used it daily until 1970, before storing it in a garage. Finally, in 2003, it was sold at auction and suitably restored.