Fiat back in the mix as Bertone manufacturing unit goes up for sale
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/earnings-financials/" rel="tag">Earnings/Financials</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/fiat/" rel="tag">FIAT</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bertone-mantide/1503522/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/07/6mantide-580op.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><em><stron g><small>Bertone Mantide - Click above for a high-res image gallery</small></strong></em><br /></div>
<br />You could say that Fiat's on a bit of a spending spree lately. While everyone else is struggling to trim expenditures and sell off divisions, Fiat's been buying them up. So after moving in at Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and making offers for GM's European and Latin American operations - including Opel and Vauxhall - it should come as no surprise that the Italian automaker is at it again, this time placing a non-binding offer to acquire Carrozzeria Bertone.<br /><br />The offer is one of five currently being entertained by Italy's oldest coachbuilder and the courts administering its bankruptcy. Among <a href="http:// http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/02/potential-buyers-line-up-for-bertone/">other bidders</a> reported are Domenico Reviglio (the Gruppo Prototipo chief who was <a href="http:// http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/bertone-sale-undone-by-italian-court/">slated to buy the company</a> last year), former Lancia CEO Gianmario Rossignolo, Chinese automaker FAW and an additional unspecified Spanish concern. It is also not the first time Fiat considered rescuing Bertone after a <a href="http:// http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/06/bertone-fiat-negotiations-falls-through/">previous attempt failed</a> over two years ago.<br /><br />Although the reports remain somewhat ambiguous, it appears that the unit in question is only the contract manufacturing division Carrozzeria Bertone SpA, a <a href="http:// http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/bertone-design-division-goes-independent/">separate unit</a> from the Stile Bertone design house under the Gruppo Bertone umbrella.<br /><br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bertone-mantide/">Bertone Mantide</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bertone-mantide/2128034/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/07/goodwood09_timbrown002_th umbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bertone-mantide/2128108/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/07/goodwood09_timbrown004_th umbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bertone-mantide/1535311/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/05/10-mantide_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bertone-mantide/1503519/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/3mantide_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bertone-mantide/1535300/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/05/11-mantide_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.autonews.com/article/20090714/ANE02/907149994/1042">Automotive News Europe</a> - Sub. Req.]<p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/14/fiat-back-in-the-mix-as-bertone-manufacturing-unit-goes-up-for-s/">Fiat back in the mix as Bertone manufacturing unit goes up for sale</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.autonews.com/article/20090714/ANE02/907149994/1042>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/14/fiat-back-in-the-mix-as-bertone-manufacturing-unit-goes-up-for-s/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19097433/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/14/fiat-back-in-the-mix-as-bertone-manufacturing-unit-goes-up-for-s/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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