The Story of Alfa Romeo's B.A.T. Cars

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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.

[@kimberlypontius9598]

My article for the Alfa Owner magazine forever cemented my relationship with Gary Kaberle and we've been good friends ever since. Never doubt a man with a dream and the love in his heart to make it a reality. You did a very nice job of storytelling and I'm honored to be mentioned in your production.

[@Barchetta]

That's incredible. Thanks so much!

[@matricious]

Hats off to you sir. You really overdelivered with this one. Congrats!

[@Barchetta]

Thanks a ton

[@wallacem41atgmail]

​@@Barchetta Unlike in French, in Italian, as in all the other Romance languages, the final "e" is always pronounced and has a sound similar to the English long "a" and, therefore, the name should correctly be pronounced similar to Br-ton-a rather than Bear-tone. Further, the French write Coupé with a diacritic to indicate the final "e" should, in fact, be pronounced. English-speakers came to pronounce the word as coop (as if it were a house for chickens) because we English-speakers detest writing diacritics but then, absurdly, follow a french pronunciation rule, which in this particular case, does n'ot apply ... LOL!

[@chickenfingers4904]

Your video's exceptional quality truly stands out, despite your subscriber count. Keep up the fantastic work👍👍 I have a feeling you’re going to blow up in subscriber counts soon. Definitely make videos that are mainstream and shareable. Videos about the Countach,, gt40, Vw beetle, Delorean, veyron, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Christian von kernig seg, pinninfarina would do incredibly well.

[@Barchetta]

Thank you.

[@TerbrugZondolop]

Well usually the great stuff is badly or non proportionally appreciated. The way this stupid and illogical world works.

[@bicyclist2]

I wanted to be a car designer since I was a little boy in the early 80's. I drew cars incessantly for over two decades. My school teachers always wanted me to stop, and pay attention to the very boring stuff they were trying to teach us. I've known about these Italian designers from many car magazine articles. Unfortunately I was born in the wrong country. It turns out it's easier to get into the NBA than it is to become a car designer. Bertone was my favorite design house. I wish they were still in business. Thank you.

[@user-cz3fc1gv4v]

Compliments on a brilliant documentary. I wrote an article on Scaglione in a South African Alfa Romeo club newsletter, magazine, but this in-depth video surpasses all I knew. Thanks❤️🍀

[@Barchetta]

Thank you!

[@TheValrbrock]

Awesome, knowledgeable video as usual. Thanks! Keep them coming.

[@Barchetta]

Thank you

[@andrewwang8204]

You are definitely my favourite car youtuber. Such an underrated channel

[@Barchetta]

Much appreciated. Thanks for watching.

[@user-ss2nl8cm4t]

one of your best ones you've done it again

[@Barchetta]

Appreciate the support. Thank you.

[@tw06le1]

When motor vehicles were Art... In comparison to what's happening today, my gosh this is beautiful...

[@Barchetta]

Agreed. They really are stunning.

[@Pontiacfirebird]

It’s nice to see these beautiful cars are getting more attention

[@Mr.Higginbotham]

Fascinating story of a car. What a design!

[@Barchetta]

Thanks for watching!

[@DoctorRazzArea4]

Thank you so much for your videos sir, it's always an absolute pleasure to view your work

[@Barchetta]

Much appreciated. It really means a lot.

[@bong4538]

For me the 9 is the most stunning of all 👌

[@Pandamasque]

19:10 this angle may have inspired the Lancia Thesis designers.

[@ACOUSTITRON-mp6tc]

If AR made a limited edition with modern tech it would go for £1m.

[@Barchetta]

Definitely!

[@caledonianrailway1233]

Will you do a video on the Argyll turbo gt

[@Barchetta]

I'll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@adrianmonk4440]

IDK if I was trippin' and seeing ELVIS or UFO sightings. I could have sworn I saw one of the B.A.T. Alpha Romeos in Dallas TX sometime between 1984 & 1988 parked in a driveway at a residential home, multiple times on the way home from work. MAYBE IT WAS A REPLICAR.

[@Onward1969]

I have one of these as a match box toy.

[@basstylelex]

Nice, but the image you are showing of Geneve is not Geneva....

[@michaelteret4763]

The 7 is the greatest!

[@thesacsquatch858]

Burr-tone-ee