I’ve often wondered, “Wouldn’t it be great if a manufacturer built a car with hidden headlights? To hell with perfect aerodynamics—let’s have a little airflow disruption in the name of style.” Anyone with me?
So, maybe you will be happy to learn that Italian coachbuilder Bertone has designed a new sports car that features pop-up headlights. Neat!
Truth be told, it could be said that, thanks to lighting technology and design trends, automotive styling has been moving in the direction where it looks like the headlights are hidden. Glance at a brand-new Hyundai Sonata and, other than daytime running lights, the sedan has a look that hides the headlights. However, the mechanical novelty is missing.
With the Bertone Runabout, not only is there no doubt the headlights are hidden, but they also pop up quite literally, each unit jutting straight from the nose to reveal a pair of headlights that would look at home on an Atari. According to Motor Trend, the Runabout features a mid-engine configuration with a V6 offering approximately 460 horsepower.
If this car seems familiar, it’s because Bertone designed a Runabout Concept in 1969, faithfully replicated by Matchbox and Corgi (and perhaps others).
Two body styles will be available: Barchetta and Targa. If you keep on forgetting what pasta fagioli is, then chances are you need us to explain that a barchetta is an open-air speedster. The Targa comes with a larger windshield and, of course, a removable hardtop. Three colors will be available: the copper-ish Rame Antico, Azzurro Mediterraneo blue, and Bianco Perla, a pearlescent ivory.
As the first in a series of the new Bertone Classic Collection, the Runabout will cost approximately $369,000, and only 25 will be produced. Pre-orders are being taken at this very moment, with delivery scheduled for a bit more than a year from now. If you’re well-heeled and moved, be sure to check your country’s safety standards for small-batch cars because it would be a bummer for you to ix-nay your order.