Marcello Gandini laments today's 'fake' concepts

Marcello Gandini has branded current concept cars fakes and "little more than maquettes" in an interview about Bertone's extensive concept car history.

The enigmatic designer, whose work with the design house stretches back to the late ‘60s, expressed his dislike of today's "fiberglass cars" and claims they can't hold a candle to the well-built concepts of old.

He praises Nuccio Bertone's vision and his insistence on producing fully working, "almost driveable" concepts throughout the coachbuilder's existence.

"I believe that mainly it's the fact that Bertone was very courageous in this sort of thing so he accepted even the most bizarre ideas like the Stratos Zero," Gandini explains. "Maybe someone else could have answered, 'no thanks'!"

His comments were made in a new video promoting the new Degler Calendar, which carries the theme of ‘Concept Cars of Bertone' and showcases some of the most important and unique prototypes designed by the design house.

To hear more from Gandini, Bertone's current brand and design director Mike Robinson and the calendar's producer, Piotr Degler Jablonski, click on the video to the left.

By Rufus Thompson