Yes, you do want one. And that’s without knowing about the 168 mph top speed or origins in a period when flower power was still a thing. The Runabout is finally ready for production by Bertone, one of the great Italian car brands, with order books open. Just 25 will be made, so make haste. When you get yours, you’ll find there’s so much more than the radical looks, inspired by speedboat design.
Basis is the 1969 Runabout, designed by Marcello Gandini, also responsible for Lamborghini’s pioneering Miura. The production version – a mere 57 years in the making – is remarkably faithful to the spirit of the original, which was said to have been inspired by the design of racing speedboats. Unlike the original which was uncompromisingly doorless and roofless, the 2026 version doesn’t require a leap over sills to get in and is available in coupé Barchetta and open Targa versions. Decisions, decisions.
Design lead Andrea Mocellin speaks of the Runabout in almost evangelical terms. “Runabout,” he says, "captures the essence of pure design with only two defining lines. It’s not just a design object but a celebration of the Italian tradition of spectacular cars – crafted for driving pleasure and the joy of life.” Do not, he seems to be saying, store this away as a sculpture in a sterile air conditioned collection.
Bertone Runabout: Clean and simple
Bertone say “reduction and clarity” are the design principles both outside and in, where occupants sit low in a “hull-inspired structural tub” constructed of carbon fibre. Instrumentation is front and central a rev counter, while there is a manual gear shifter ready and demanding to control the six speed close ratio gear box. Mechanicals are borrowed from Lotus’s now defunct Exige, with an uprated version of the already powerful supercharged, 3.5-litre V6, producing 469 bhp, good for that 168 mph top speed and taking to you to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds.
Interior detailing is bespoke - you can specify a pair of Bertone-branded crash helmets, which are obviously essential - as is much of the exterior. Bertone expects no two Runabouts to be the same. "Every client,” the storied coachbuilders say, "follows a curated configuration journey, shaping the car's identity through a personal dialogue with Bertone's Centro Stile.”
Everyone needs a runabout in their garage and this one would fit nicely in ours. Yours too? Question might be where to run about to, whether it’s down to the shops for groceries – unlikely given the limited storage – or, slightly more likely, garaged at your summer home in Cannes for those essential trips to Monte Carlo just down the coast. With just 25 Runabouts being made, you’re not going to see another one but we’d advise getting your order in now, given you have the required £400,000. More than the price of the average house, but then who wants to be average? We’ll be at Casino Monte Carlo’s roulette table, trying to win enough to order our own Runabout.
