This One-of-a-Kind Aston Martin Bertone Shooting Brake Is Heading to Auction
If you ever wondered what would happen if James Bond's favorite marque and your family station wagon had a baby, today's your lucky day.
A one-of-a-kind Aston Martin Rapide has been reimagined by Bertone as a shooting brake (or station wagon as we Americans like to call them), and it's heading to auction. That means that it's either an abomination—so bad that of course only one was made—or a beauty, because it's an Aston Martin shooting brake designed by Bertone. Where one stands depends on one's feelings about shooting brakes and the combination of British and Italian design.
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Regardless, the car is set to sell on March 29 by Dore & Rees, who did not give an estimate on price, which means that, since the car is one-of-one, the final bid could be anyone's guess.
The car is also the last design project for the original Bertone, which went under in 2014, or shortly after this 2013 Aston Martin Rapide was so transformed. The Aston Martin Bertone Jet 2+2 began as an idea in 2012 from Barry Weir, who Dore & Rees says is the 'first person to circumnavigate the world in a classic Aston Martin DB2/4.' At the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, the Aston Martin Bertone Jet 2+2 was officially unveiled.
The excitement was such that Aston Martin and Bertone planned to make 10 of them but Bertone collapsed before those dreams could be realized. The car exemplifies some of the trends at the time, including the view inside.
'The transformation is more than aesthetic; its extended roofline and reworked proportions bring an increased sense of space, while a full-length panoramic dimmable glass roof bathes the cabin in natural light, shifting from clear to deep blue at the press of a button,' Dore & Rees said in its listing. 'The rear seats fold flat electronically, a first for Aston Martin, extending the load space seamlessly for added practicality.'
Under the hood, meanwhile, is a V-12 that makes 476 brake horsepower, and can get to 62 mph in 5.3 seconds. The car's owner even put in some miles, or 24,169 shown on the odometer. Perhaps most appealingly, Dore & Rees says that owning this car will guarantee a place on the best concours lawns.
That's also because an Aston Martin and Bertone combination is rare, most notably with the 1954 DB2/4 Drophead Coupe.Best of Robb Report
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