That’s quicker than the Lotus Emira, which is available with the same supercharged V6 engine and six-speed manual gearbox through the Auto Express Buy A Car service.
Bertone has also refined and modernised the original concept’s design by, for instance, incorporating an S-duct like you’ll find on the Ferrari 296 into the extremely low and pointed front end. Plus the car has pop-up headlights and wheelarches that look like they’ve been moulded around the forged aluminum wheels, which were inspired by those on the 1969 concept.
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There are a couple of versions of the Runabout, too: the one you see here is the Targa, with removable panels for sunny days when those very lucky customers want to feel the wind in their hair, or there’s the Barchetta, which is a roofless speedster like the original concept for the ultimate open-air driving experience.
Andrea Mocellin, the lead designer on the new Runabout project, said: “Our intention from the beginning was to translate the essence of the 1969 Runabout into a car that feels entirely relevant today.”
He explained, “Rather than treating history as a set of shapes to copy, we approached it as a set of values to reinterpret. The 1969 Runabout was audacious, experimental, and refreshingly simple – those qualities became our north star. We carried the spirit forward, not the styling.”
Meanwhile, the Runabout’s interior is very pared back, with just a few buttons dotted around and a slim digital driver’s display behind the two-spoke steering wheel. But Bertone says it’s still supposed to feel luxurious, thanks to precision-machined aluminum and lots of leather. There’s also some fascinating details including the exposed linkage for the shifter and a marine compass sitting on top of the dashboard as a nod to the concept.
Each Bertone Runabout will cost upwards of £400,000, and customers will be able to create something unique with the help of Bertone’s Centro Stile design team. The car will be shown to the public for the first time at Rétromobile 2026 in Paris, France.
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