A "custom-built" vehicle in a "made-to-measure" suit by a great tailor based on a production vehicle of great prestige. This, very briefly, is the Bertone Jet 2 (the name is a tribute to the Aston Martin Jet created by Nuccio Bertone in 1961, based on the Aston Martin DB4 GT as a one-off).
A Concept car developed from the Aston Martin Vanquish, the Bertone Jet 2 has the same mechanical lay out, the floorpan structure (the wheel base has been lengthened by 210 mm. to allow two rear seats to be added to the original version) and all the BIW elements "under the skin" to limit investments and not alter the elements which are subject to homologation.
Bertone Jet 2 expresses the concept of a modern "custom-built" car. In other words a vehicle which, on the basis of a non-perceptible "carry over" nucleus, is characterized by a completely new body. In this sense the Bertone Jet 2 re-proposes, in modern terms, a product linked to the traditional history of Italian coachbuilders which dressed the most enchanting engines of the time in "haute couture".
Bertone's objective is to develop a specific product, of strong personality, with contained investments for the manufacturer, and therefore with a high added value.
"We always have to explore the limits of the brand -explained Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin- and this Bertone Jet 2 is a very interesting concept. There are a number of ideas we could perhaps consider in the future. That's why Aston Martin supported this."
"The choice of the Aston Martin brand really responds to two motivations -said Mrs. Lilli Bertone, Chairman of Bertone Group- The first is linked to history: Since 1953 Aston Martins have always stimulated and inspired Bertone's creativity, which has created one-off vehicles of particular design merit and expressive strength. The second motivation derives from an emotive factor: an exercise in design and engineering is much more stimulating (and demanding) if a sports "pedigree" such as the Aston Martin Vanquish is in the leading role."
2. The concept.
In recent years, the public has determined a marked division of the market in niche products. This diversification in demand entails massive economic investments for the manufacturers. The Bertone Jet 2 is an example of how Bertone could help the manufacturers to diversify their own range by preparing "custom-built" vehicles, exactly as they did in the fifties and sixties, with all the quality and safety standards of a modern automobile manufacturer. The proposal expressed by the Bertone Jet 2 has been made sustainable from the manufacturer's point of view, thanks to a maximum synergy with the components of the original model. From the engineering point of view, Bertone has respected all the structural limits of the original vehicle, the modification of which would have entailed high levels of investment (which would not have allowed to contain the price difference of the custom-built vehicle).
At the same time, the finished vehicle is characterized by a specific identity which is so strong that it can be presented as a new model. To the hypothetical final customer, the decision to work with limited investments could translate into a reasonable price increase, to justify the possession of an exclusive object, a vehicle for a few refined connoisseurs.
3. The design.
The point of departure for the styling definition was the search of a Bertone identity with respect to the classic Aston Martin features. The car body, originating from sinuous lines and tight "geometrical" features, is a synthesis of the two brand identities. The flowing shape follows a forward leaning belt line which rises towards the tail; a graphical treatment which enhances the physical power of the Bertone Jet 2 through flowing and natural phrasing. The idea of movement is resumed by a large transparent roof, which emphasizes the dynamism and the impetus of the vehicle.
In the front part the classic Aston Martin grille remains, with additional air ducts to cool the disc brakes. The flush cover headlights propose an evolved graphic with respect to the original model. The rear view focuses on the vertical tailgate, the outline of which repeats the shape of the Aston Martin grille.
4. The interior.
The Bertone Jet 2 presents the classic interior configuration of the 2+2 coupé, made possible by a sizeable increase in the wheelbase with respect to the original model.
The real flexibility of use of the "grand tourer" is expressed also by means of fitting solutions such as the two rear seats, which fold and store away in the floor, to make way for an exceptional loading space for a vehicle of this category. The finishing in matt pear-wood, satinized aluminium trim with upholstery in leather, embossed using an innovative procedure, are a tribute to the luxurious Italian motorboats of the fifties and sixties, but also an ironical wink to the hypothetical customer of this kind of vehicle, who is used to surround himself with precious materials.
5. The tradition: all Bertone's Aston Martins.
The collaboration between Bertone and Aston Martin begins in 1953, the year of the birth of two models (which remained one-off) which were based on the Aston Martin DB2/4: a competition-type "barchetta" and an elegant 2+2 cabrio.
The DB2/4 Barchetta highlights some features which, over the years, are to become Bertone "classics": the windscreen low and thin, the eyecatching air ducts of the engine hood, the wide grille, the rear fenders enveloping and sleek to give impetus to the rear volume.
The DB2/4 Cabrio presents a formal and very sober elaboration. The front is entirely structured around the large chromed Aston Martin grille, which incorporates two supplementary spotlights. The front hood, as in the Barchetta, is livened up by a long air duct. The side view shows a smooth, modest body side, defined by a long front hood and by a gathered and muscular tail, tapering downwards.
In 1955 it is still the mechanics of the DB2/4 which inspire Bertone to a 2-seater maximum roadster of great formal elegance. The treatment of the volumes has become softer and more flowing. The air duct on the front hood has disappeared in favour of a higher and conspicuous grille. The rear volume is marked by the "fins" which rise above the fenders. Surprisingly, a panoramic windscreen is added, to a bodywork of such classical lines, in homage to the fashion of that time.
In 1961 a 2+2 coupé is born which even today is considered one of the most successful creations of Bertone: the DB4 GT (made as a one-off model, this vehicle won the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa Este in 2001) was presented with the name Jet at the Geneva Motor Show 1961.
With the Aston Martin Jet the theme of GT theme is developed according to design norms that, at that time, give rise to amazement and admiration.
The vehicle presents a sinuous and very flowing side, linked to the tail volume by a tense "muscle" above the rear wheel arch. The roof short and thin, resting with delicacy on the rear pillar, defines a cosy and bright interior like the cockpit of an aeroplane. For many years, the Aston Martin Jet was a design paradigm of the Italian sports coupé.
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