No one who saw the BAT 5 show auto in 1953 could ever leave it . It was not just forward-looking ; it was futuristic . But it was also naturalistic , capable of being driven in everyday traffic and of journey very tight – and with good fuel economic system .
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Franco Scaglione designed the BAT and Carrozzeria Nuccio Bertone , Turin , Italy , build it on an Alfa Romeo 1900 Sprint chassis . It rollick semi - enclosed wheels , immense front - fender air vents , outstanding tailfin that curved inwards , and a central louvre that bisected the rearward backlight . BAT stick out for " Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica , " or " Aerodynamic Engineering Sedan . " Thus the rounded front end and untamed fins . With its short two - tooshie coupe physical structure , it was n’t really a berlina , but the term berlinetta had n’t been mint yet .
Like BATs 1 - 4 , BAT 6 never got past the styling - sketch stage , but a BAT 7 was built in 1954 . It study aeromechanics to new extremes by overdo the feature film of BAT 5 . The fins , for exemplar , get at the windshield . BAT 8 only existed on paper , but BAT 9 appeared in 1955 . This was a less radical design , a more realistic concept for production . It also foretell the Alfa Romeo Giulietta SS , a 1955 Scaglione design .
For BAT 9 , again on the 1900 Sprint frame , the fins lost their inbound candle . They started behind the door , rose aggressively , then sharpen off parallel with the roof occupation . The body sides were free of air scoops and extractors , and only the front bicycle were enclosed down to hub level , the rearward wheel now being almost completely debunk . Also seen on BAT 9 were a seriously wrap up windscreen and an Alfa grille .
The BAT 9 was brought to the U.S. by S.H. “ Wacky ” Arnolt , a Chicago alien - car dealer and Bertone frailty - president .
In 1963 , the railway car terminate up at a franchise in Greenville , Michigan . A untested lad of 16 wanted that railroad car , and somehow he was lucky enough to develop it . Dr. Gary Kaberle , now a Traverse City , Michigan , dentist , has possess it ever since . It had about 12,000 international nautical mile on it when he bought it , but it was n’t running . Even so , the car is still mostly original 25 year later . It has now cover 20,000 mil , and boasts the original tyre and leather , although the paint has been redone .
All three squash racquet still exist , and it ’s potential that all three will be shown together at Pebble Beach this year .
It ’s unacceptable to put a price on the one - off BAT 9 , but that does n’t count to Dr. Kaberle . “ I ’d never sell it , ” he says . And who can find fault him ?
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