Geneva '08 Preview: Bertone may or may not display Alfa Romeo BAT 11 concept

Bertone's not about to let an uncertain future stop it from moving forward. Or is it? With its salvation plan rejected by the courts and its future left hanging in the balance, the famous Italian design house is suffering from an apparent crisis in leadership. Automotive News reports that the company's vice-chairman Marie-Jeanne Bertone, daughter of the late Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone, confirmed that the company will be present at the upcoming Geneva auto show. Meanwhile the mother superior, company chairwoman Lilli Bertone, says otherwise. All the while the company released a statement saying that it will be unveiling a new concept at the show, now less than three weeks away. This has all the drama of a Mario Puzo novel, and we just don't know what to expect.

The concept car that Bertone will (or won't) show in Geneva is reported to be the Alfa Romeo BAT 11 concept. For those unacquainted, BAT stands for "Berlinetta Aerodinamica Technica" – we'll let you unravel the enigmatic translation – and was used on a series of concept cars designed by Bertone for Alfa Romeo in the mid-1950s (right). The BAT 11, meanwhile, is said to be based on the Alfa 8C Competizione – a rolling work of art difficult to improve upon – but exists only as a styling exercise with no interior. Like its namesake forbearers, the design of the BAT 11 promises to focus on sleek wind-cutting aerodynamics. It'd be a pity if we didn't get to see it.