This is incredible and if he pulls it off could be the shot heard around the world. Go George go! FGM Another week, another twist in the Italian design-house soap opera plot. Just last week Walter de Silva was gifted the keys to Italdesign, the company that founder Giorgetto Giugiaro was ousted from by the Volkswagen Group after selling his remaining stake in the company in June. But it seems the 77 year-old master is far from ready to retire. A number of sources closely related to the Turin car design industry have reported to us that Giugiaro is gearing up to buy the rights to the defunct Bertone name when the brand is auctioned off this week for around 3million. And while this remains speculation, he is making no secret of the fact hes not ready to stop working any time soon. Talking to Automotive News last week, he said: I dont feel old enough to retire. I will continue to do the only thing I'm good at designing cars." In the report, Giorgetto and son Fabrizio are said to already be looking for suitable facilities for their new company. But why would they use the Bertone name? There are a number of reasons, some more practical than others. Firstly the Bertone name, despite falling from grace before its eventual closure last year, is still widely known and synonymous with some of the most fantastic cars in history, some of which were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro himself during his time at the company from 1960 to 1965. This gives it the immediate advantage of its heritage. Secondly, because of rather complex Italian laws, there are a series of tax breaks for Italian companies which buy other Italian companies, so attaining the rights to a going concern is far more cost-effective than starting from scratch. The same applies to facilities refurbishing existing premises avoids the infamous bureaucracy that is often a part of Italian business. Unfortunately the fabulous Bertone facilities have already been sold for redevelopment. And, while Giugiaro is a famously pragmatic character, the opportunity to save a great Italian name from the scrapheap and for it to stay Italian when even Pininfarina is set to be sold to Mahindra will no doubt appeal to his idealistic side. With offers of work already being made by Asian manufacturers, this may be the start of a new chapter in Giugiaros career that already contains his many remarkable achievements. - See more at: Giugiaro set to buy Bertone name for new venture - Car Design News Ciao, FGM
Great to hear some positive news in the generally downbeat stream of stories coming from the Italian design houses. There are not too many car designers who could power a global brand, but Giugiaro is one of them. I sincerely hope his endeavours with Bertone bear fruit and we continue to see more examples of his work. Class is permanent........ Forza Giorgetto! Best. Mark.
Given that Mr. Giugiaro most likely received a ton of VW stock in exchange for his company, I am guessing he like may others have taken a big hair cut these last few days. Very unfortunate timing. FGM
