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SPEEDHOLICS ARTICLE
www.speedholics.com/post/alfa...
CORRECTION
I made an error when citing a source at around the 27:10 mark. In Out of Darkness, author Kim Pontius does not state that Gary Kaberle and Nuccio Bertone built a rapport. I mixed this up with Strother MacMinn's piece in Automobile Quarterly (Aerodynamics and Style: Bertone's B.A.T.S in Vol. 33 No. 3) which mentions Kaberle writing a letter to the coach builder. And as I'm writing this correction I just noticed that there's a typo in the citation as well. There's always something...
SOURCES
www.barchetta.co/bat-sources
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 INTRO
3:39 I REBIRTH (FRANCO SCAGLIONE EARLY DAYS)
6:41 II FLIGHT (ABARTH 1500 BIPOSTO)
12:13 III SOAR (BAT 5)
16:27 (BAT 7)
18:54 (BAT 9)
21:46 SOAR (SCAGLIONE LATER YEARS)
22:42 IV DESTINATION (BAT 5 FATE)
23:49 (BAT 7 FATE)
26:18 (BAT 9 FATE)
27:41 (REUNION AT PEBBLE BEACH)
30:44 TRIBUTE (BERTONE BAT 11dk)
Scaglione took the major elements from the 1500 Biposto and developed them further for the Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 5. The acronym, short for Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica, roughly translates to Aerodynamic Engineering coupe. According to the Special Interest Autos article, Bertone said that it was not aware of the connection to the English word “BAT.” I guess some things are just destined to happen. It is the fifth study in this vein, hence the “5.”
With a coefficient of drag of .23, the B.A.T. 5 certainly lives up to its name. Scaglione achieved this without the use of a wind tunnel. Instead, Bertone attached wool strips to the car and then drove it while a photographer in a different car took snapshots. Designers were able to see how the wind traveled across the body and make the necessary corrections.
Scaglione wasted no time creating a followup to the sensational B.A.T. 5. Its successor was shaping up to be an even more ambitious vehicle. Work dragged on and Bertone risked missing its scheduled debut at the 1954 Turin Motor Show. Giovanna Scaglione said that here was no time to transport the car by truck, so Franco and Nuccio had to drive it over themselves. She also said that they left with a spare car, wheels, and even a pair of mechanics. Onlookers swarmed the traveling party and bombarded them with questions. They kept the crowds away and at the show by the skin of their teeth. Those in attendance bore witness to the B.A.T. 7.
For his final act, Scaglione decided to go in the other direction. He aimed to realize these ideas in a car that was more suited toward production: the B.A.T. 9d. The letter indicates that the car saw several revisions before being finalized.
Alfa Romeo did not intend on building it at scale, though certain elements could trickle down to its road cars. Practicality and visibility became greater considerations. To this end, Scaglione toned down the fins a bit. They come up to the windshield’s midpoint, but they don’t seem as large because their peak comes relatively early on. Additionally, the 9’s wings take shape near the C-pillar. Compare this to the other cars in the series where they were introduced much earlier. Around back, they have a steeper curve. One can almost discern the rear deck from them.
Verticality is emphasized with the 9’s wings. Unlike its predecessors, they do not define its widest point from the back. There’s a clear separation between it and the outer body edge, and instead of rounding out and creating an implied loop like the 7’s wings, they go nearly straight up and form a pseudo half-pipe. They flow, but not as much as the other cars in the series. In terms of execution, the dorsal fin lies between the 5 and 7, with it leaning more toward the latter. The neutral exterior color means that the saddle brown interior pops. With its sky blue paint job and black and white interior, the 7 left this opportunity on the table.