I Hope This Italian Supercar is the Start of Something New: Quickie
The good news is that I read a lot more than I post, but man, life has been a whirlwind as of late. On top of training, we’ve been snowed in and software issues have plagued my new job, making car sales just that much more difficult for the month of March.
My endeavors at the third Mazda store has been different. Building renovations mean my physical presence has been less necessary, as my priority has been to get certified to sell Fords and Lincolns, hence the training. Now that it’s winding down, I’ve decided computer modules are the spawn of Satan and focusing my attention elsewhere.
True fact: I own a typewriter. Recently, I gave it a good service that includes new ink ribbon and oiling the key mechanisms so it stays in good working order. This is just one glimpse of a world that I choose to live in that is considerably less tech heavy.
Another stems from a company that is bringing back a fad once popular among sports cars. Bertone is gearing up to launch a new model intended to be a throwback and not quite so digital.
Pop-up lights! Once a staple of car design, these disappeared shortly after the turn of the millennium when pedestrian safety started to take a foothold. Despite restrictions, it seems that boutique carmakers such as coachbuilder Bertone is able to skirt the rules on the basis of exclusivity.
The 2026 Runabout will see just 25 examples made when production cues up. It’s based on a concept Bertone drew up in the 1960s using the bones of an Autobianchi A112, which was an affordable Italian hatchback in those days.
The difference is the Runabout will be an actual running vehicle, with a 500-horsepower V-6 serving as the running gear. In a car this light, I assume that will be coupled to a manual transmission instead of an automatic. Also deviating from the concept is the fact that it will be offered in open-top or coupe configurations.
But really, the big story here is that a popular fad banned to the pages of history has made a triumphant return thanks to a loophole in safety rules. On the subject of pedestrian safety, the NHTSA’s Standard No. 108 says this about it:
Whenever any malfunction occurs in a component that controls or conducts power for the actuation of the concealment device, each closed headlamp concealment device shall be capable of being fully opened by a means not requiring the use of any tools. Thereafter, the headlamp concealment device must remain fully opened until intentionally closed.
Euro laws state a similar sentiment but it’s worth noting, neither don’t explicitly ban pop-up headlamps, just that companies phased them out over time.
While I appreciate the chatter of pedestrian safety, getting hit by a car is getting hit by a car. I would be curious to see any data to support whether headlight design is responsible for causing injury. Some pop-ups are slicker than others, but even the 1990s Miata is still a one-ton hunk of metal that insurance companies will note responsible in case of an accident.
What’s to stop carmakers from developing a trigger that will release the lights back into the flush bodywork as soon as impact is detected? If it can work for airbags, it can work here.
Either way, I hope the Bertone Runabout is the catalyst to the return of a beloved design feature.
-TA