The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The Chevrolet Ramarro Concept by Bertone.
The Chevrolet Ramarro: One of Nuccio Bertone’s most stimulating ambitions was that of conquering the American market. In 1963 he had created the successful Testudo on the mechanics of the then very new Chevrolet Corvair, a revolutionary coupé which made him a focus for the attention of the international press and the American manufacturers. Twenty years later, Bertone began to explore the possibility of approaching the US market with the Ramarro, an exercise in applied technology around mass-produced mechanics. The prototype was created on the chassis of the well-known Chevrolet Corvette, and the underlying concept aimed to modify the layout of the mechanical components in order to make the most of the design quality. The radiator and air-conditioning were moved to the rear of the vehicle, and the doors opened by sliding forwards. The entirely glazed greenhouse was the final design touch which aimed to combine intentional aesthetics with the application of highly sophisticated technology. 33 cm shorter than the production Corvette, the Ramarro was judged to be an example of an industrial design of rare beauty. It was officially presented in Los Angeles just before the Olympics and then went on tour round the Motor Shows of the world. A year later the Chevrolet Ramarro was given the Car Design Award by a jury composed of the most expert European and American specialised magazines. This recognition was awarded for “its bold ideas, worked into a design project which gives the Chevrolet Corvette an entirely new personality”.
The Bertone Ramarro (the Italian name for a striking green lizard) was based on the Chevrolet Corvette C4 (the fourth-generation Corvette). Given Nuccio Bertone’s sense for perfect timing, the concept was unveiled for the first time at the 1984 Los Angeles Motor Show, shortly before the start of the Summer Olympic Games.
Bertone was probably the most innovative and certainly the most courageous coachbuilder in the automotive history. We’ve tried to rank them, here are the 20 greatest concept cars made by Bertone. We are aware that you will not always agree with us, so let us know what are your favourite one’s in the comment section.
