AN AUTOMOTIVE TRIPTYCH OF UNPARALLELED SIGNIFICANCE

ALFA ROMEO
BERLINA AERODINAMICA TECNICA
5–7–9d

Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction

28 OCTOBER 2020 | 6 PM EDT | NEW YORK

© Kimball Stock
AUCTION
Sotheby’s New York Contemporary Art Evening Auction
Wednesday | 28 October 2020 | 6:00 PM EDT
The October sales will be presented in the dynamic, innovative digital
format pioneered during Sotheby’s marquee summer sales in June and
July. The auctions will be broadcast globally from the New York salesroom
to enable viewers to follow the bidding live, in high-definition through
real-time video streams, while bidders will be able to place bids with
Sotheby’s specialists in New York, Hong Kong and London via phone, or
via Sotheby’s interactive online bidding platform.
BIDDERS’ CONDITION OF BUSINESS
Please ensure that you read and understand these Bidders’ Conditions
of Business (“Conditions of Business”) prior to bidding on this Lot, which
consists of (i) 1953 Alfa Romeo BAT 5, VIN: AR1900 01396; (ii) 1954
Alfa Romeo BAT 7, VIN: AR1900C 01485; and (iii) 1955 Alfa Romeo BAT
9d, VIN: AR1900 01600 (together “Lot(s)”) via Sotheby’s Livestream
Platform for the Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction on 28
October 2020. Please note that the Conditions of Business are subject
to change from time to time and they will be posted on the RM Sotheby’s
(“RMS”) website at www.rmsothebys.com and Sotheby’s Contemporary
Evening Art Auction digital catalogue for auction to be held on 28 October
2020, as the case may be. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to apprise
himself or herself of the Conditions of Business for each auction in which
the Bidder wishes to participate. Bidders are encouraged to contact
RMS’ Client Service department at clientservices@rmsothebys.com with
any questions or concerns regarding these Conditions of Business.
PREVIEW AN AUTOMOTIVE TRIPTYCH OF UNPARALLELED SIGNIFICANCE
ALFA ROMEO
The Alfa Romeo B.A.T. Cars are available for preview at the Sotheby’s
New York Headquarters and in following the guidelines for the Phase
BERLINA AERODINAMICA TECNICA
Four reopening of Manhattan, we are able to accommodate clients
in our building by appointment only. The exhibition for the sales will
5–7–9d
open on 21 October and will close on 28 October at 12:00 PM EDT. To
schedule an appointment please click here or contact appointments
appointmentsNY@sothebys.com or +1 212 606 7171. You can read
more about our safety requirements here.
1953 ALFA ROMEO B.A.T. 5 1955 ALFA ROMEO B.A.T. 9d 1954 ALFA ROMEO B.A.T. 7
CHASSIS NO. AR1900 01396 CHASSIS NO. AR1900 01600 CHASSIS NO. AR1900C 01485
COACHWORK BY CARROZZERIA BERTONE Auction Estimate
DESIGN BY FRANCO SCAGLIONE $14,000,000—$20,000,000
GUARANTEED PROPERTY / IRREVOCABLE BID
BIDDER REGISTRATION AND INQUIRIES
The Consignor has been guaranteed a minimum price for this lot.
Azar Khosrowshahi
Where RMS provides a minimum price guarantee to Consignor, it may
This lot is being offered in Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Client Services, RM Sotheby’s
choose at its sole discretion to subrogate some or all of its guarantee
Auction and requires a different bidder registration process than RM azar@rmsothebys.com
obligations to the Consignor with an irrevocable bid from a third party. A
Sotheby’s customary bidder registration process. To register to bid, +1 310 559 4575
third party has provided RMS with an irrevocable bid on this lot that will
or for any inquiries, please contact: +1 215 806 7878
be executed during the sale at a value that ensures that the lot will sell.
The irrevocable bidder, who may bid in excess of the irrevocable bid, will
be compensated for providing the irrevocable bid by receiving a fixed
fee and a contingent fee based on the final sale price. For all terms and
conditions of the offering of this lot, please review the Bidders’ Condition
of Business at www.rmsothebys.com or www.sothebys.com
The auction will be produced by RM Auctions, Inc. d.b.a. RM Sotheby’s of Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction
1334 York Ave, New York, NY 10021 (New York State Department of Motor 28 OCTOBER 2020 | 6 PM EDT | NEW YORK
Vehicles Facility Identification No. 7120237).
© Kimball Stock 1
 Unconstrained by the limitations of budget and the realities
of manufacturing, concept cars afford talented designers the
opportunity to explore their wildest and most progressive ideas.
At their best, these dazzling, truly artistic creations invite us to
totally reimagine what the automobile can be.

As in the world of fashion, however, car design evolves quickly;

it is unusual to find a concept that remains relevant after its
allotted time in the spotlight comes to an end, let alone one
that is still compelling over six decades after its debut. Rarer
still is the concept that transcends its role as a design exercise
to embody the sculptural potential of the automotive form. And
when it comes to a trilogy of concepts that effortlessly achieves
both feats, there is but one spectacular example: The Alfa Romeo
Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica series by Franco Scaglione.

2 View Additional Photos and Documentation at rmsothebys.com 3

 Whether considered the ultimate three-movement concerto
of automobile design or the only true automotive triptych
ever produced, few will contest the greatness of the B.A.T.
5, 7, and 9d concepts. Hand-built by the storied Carrozzeria
Bertone of Turin, Italy and introduced in 1953, 1954, and
1955, respectively, these cars were pioneering in their use of
aerodynamics. With flamboyant aesthetics that simultaneously
minimized drag for optimal performance, the B.A.T. cars were
immediately and enthusiastically embraced by press and
public alike.

Individually, each of the B.A.T.s is, without exaggeration,

among the most important automotive concepts ever built.
Presented collectively, their significance deepens: Uniquely
in the automotive world, the B.A.T.s are best understood as
variations on a singular theme, a complete work in three parts.
Like a Francis Bacon triptych, examining one car in the context
of the other two reveals new aspects of their forms, as well
as the captivating details incorporated into the hand-shaped
bodywork of each.

Put simply, since the inception of the internal combustion

engine, no one vehicle—let alone an interwoven trilogy—has so
compellingly explored the concept of the automobile as pure
kinetic sculpture as the Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 5, 7, and 9d.

4 View Additional Photos and Documentation at rmsothebys.com 5


THE VISION OF FRANCO SCAGLIONE
The greatest cars in the world, and indeed, the ones that
completely re-write the course of automotive history, are
the products of brilliant creative minds—engineers who
rethink what is possible in terms of performance, captains
of industry who envision a new paradigm of transport, and
more often than not, designers whose sketches and clay
models are years ahead of their time.
The world’s very best car designers are legends of the
industry, from Harley Earl to Ian Callum, whose pencil
strokes are immediately recognizable in the finished
product. Franco Scaglione was one such iconic designer.
Franco Scaglione was born on 26 September 1916 in
Florence, Italy, to Vittorio Scaglione, a chief army doctor, and
Giovanna Fabbri, captain of the Italian Red Cross service.
Franco would ultimately follow in his parents’ footsteps and
join the military ranks at the outbreak of World War II. At
War’s end, in early 1948, Franco travelled to Bologna in
pursuit of work, with his mind set on becoming a car stylist
in Italy’s rebuilding auto industry.
Initially he spent his time sketching clothing for various
fashion houses. Though the work turned out to be lucrative,
it did not fulfil his passion for working in automotive design.
6 View Additional Photos and Documentation at rmsothebys.com
Looking toward the major coachbuilding firms, he relocated
to Torino in 1951 where he reached out to Battista “Pinin”
Farina, though a collaboration never materialized. Shortly
thereafter, however, Franco met the great Giuseppe
“Nuccio” Bertone, and a partnership was born.
Abarth 1500 biposto shown at Salone dell’Automobile in
1952. Next to car are designer Franco Scaglione (left) and
Nuccio Bertone (right).
CARROZZERIA BERTONE AND
BERLINA AERODINAMICA TECNICA
At the dawn of the 1950s, Nuccio Bertone’s carrozzeria, the
design house and coachbuilder responsible for penning and
constructing hand-made car bodies, was struggling in the face
of postwar recovery. One-off commissions for wealthy clients,
once the lifeblood of the coachbuilding trade, represented a
decreasingly viable business strategy. Meanwhile, the idea of a
concept car—an automobile built primarily to push the limits of
creativity, rather than to closely preview a future product—was far
from widespread.
That began to change when Franco Scaglione entered the
picture. The 1951 hiring of a then-largely unknown designer with
a background in aeronautics soon resulted in the some of the
firm’s most celebrated works, catapulting both Scaglione and
Bertone to enduring fame.
Following the success of the Scaglione-designed and Bertone-
built Abarth 1500 Biposto in 1952, Alfa Romeo expressed interest
in exploring a technical proposal into aerodynamics. Bertone
chose the modern 1900 platform as a testbed for this research,
and Scaglione relished the opportunity to combine his interests
in science and mathematics with his aesthetic leanings. He later
wrote of the vehicle’s guiding manifesto in a 1954 article in Auto
Italiana, arguing that aerodynamic considerations accounted for
as much as 85 percent of a car’s efficiency, and concluding “the
entry form must give a smooth penetration.”
From this relatively simple principle, Scaglione would derive the
three automotive jewels that would make up the revolutionary
Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica series.
7
 B.A.T. 5 (1953)

With firm ideas about the minimization of drag by shaping

laminar airflow and stability with the car’s exterior form in
mind, Scaglione progressively worked through four full-size
models before proceeding to the fifth and final stage, the
actual metalwork for the car. When completed, the concept
car was appropriately dubbed the Berlina Aerodinamica
Tecnica 5, or B.A.T. 5.

Instantly striking to even a casual observer, the B.A.T.

5’s protruding pontoon fenders and rounded center nose
ducted airflow over the swept hood, whose low profile
was accommodated by an engine modified with side-draft
carburetors. Frontal air was channeled into dual nose
vents with horizontal slots that directly fed the radiator
core. Topside airflow was ducted over a slippery teardrop-
shaped wraparound-glass cockpit, and over rear shoulders
enclosed by leaning tailfins. The fins gently curved together
toward the tapered rear, with airflow further stabilized by a
central rear spine. Rear wheel skirts were fitted to reduce
reverse airflow from the wheel’s topside, and large side
vents provided exhaust for the front brakes.

Notably, and despite its radical looks, Scaglione designed

the B.A.T. 5 and its successors with road-legal drivability
(if not comfortable, practical long-distance touring) in
mind. Over the years, many have claimed, incorrectly,
that Scaglione’s dogged pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency
meant that the car did away from headlamps. The
headlamps are in fact designed to swing away and into the
fenders when not required—one of many demonstrations
of Scaglione’s ability to skillfully incorporate functional
engineering solutions into what might have otherwise been
a visually indulgent flight of fancy.
Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 5, Turin Automobile Salon, 1953.
Courtesy of The Klemantaski Collection

8 View Additional Photos and Documentation at rmsothebys.com 9

 “EFFICIENCY EQUALS BEAUTY.”
- Franco Scaglietti

© Kimball Stock

In addition to its arresting appearance and jet-age character,

Scaglione’s coachwork was remarkable for its advanced
aerodynamics. Figures vary slightly (analytical methods of the
time were primitive by today’s standards) but the B.A.T. 5 is said
to have achieved a coefficient of drag of roughly 0.23 at nearly
94 mph, all at a low power output of under 43 horsepower. The
top speed was tested at 123.6 mph, an impressive metric given
the era and the car’s relatively small four-cylinder engine.

The B.A.T. 5 made its public debut at the Turin Auto Salon in
May 1953, drawing rapturous coverage from the international
motoring press. In October 1953, Bertone sold the concept car
to American importer Stanley “Wacky” Arnolt, and it was then
displayed in the United States at Herb Shriner’s auto shows.
After repainting the car a darker silver, Arnolt drove it personally
for several years while displaying it at his Hoosier International
Motors showroom in Warsaw, Indiana.

In 1956 Arnolt sold the Alfa Romeo to his friend Joe Prysak of
South Bend, and he devised a way to hang the car from the
rafters of his specialty shop, where it was displayed for many
years. After 30 years of ownership, Prysak finally offered the
B.A.T. 5 for sale in 1987, and it was then purchased by Said
Marouf of La Jolla, California. Following a year-long restoration
to the original color configuration, the important concept car
was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August
1988, winning a class award. It would return a year later for
© Kimball Stock
something even more spectacular.

10 11
 B.A.T. 7 (1954)

As is often the case with concept cars, the B.A.T. 5 was

essentially mothballed after the 1953 show season as work
commenced on an updated version, soon to be known as the
B.A.T. 7. Running gear would once again be sourced from the
Alfa Romeo 1900, but given the first car’s success, Scaglione
was encouraged to emphasize various characteristics of the
original. He obliged by narrowing the front air intakes, lowering
the hood by over two inches, and lengthening the tailfins while
adding increased angular pitch to the extremities. The rear
wheel skirts and pronounced side vents remained.

Again, however, Scaglione judiciously avoided the trap of

self-indulgence. Granted license to create a more extreme
design, he also created one that was more extreme in terms
of aerodynamics as well: The B.A.T. 7’s coefficient of drag was,
at 0.19, even more remarkable than that of its predecessor.
Consider that a Toyota Prius and a Tesla Model S, two paragons
of modern efficiency, achieve a 0.24 Cd; Scaglione soundly
bested both in an era without widespread wind tunnel testing
or computer-aided design. Weight was reduced as well, from
the B.A.T. 5’s roughly 2,400 pounds to just 2,200 pounds.

Scheduled to be unveiled at the Turin Salon in April 1954, the

B.A.T. 7 required feverish preparation to complete, and it was
finished so late that Nuccio Bertone and Franco Scaglione
personally drove the car to Turin. Response at the show was
unequivocally positive, as the B.A.T. 7 received even more
enthusiastic praise from the media than its predecessor,
making the cover of Swiss magazine Automobil Revue.

Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 7, Turin Automobile Salon, 1954.

Courtesy of The Klemantaski Collection

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 © Kimball Stock

Following the 1954 show season, the B.A.T. 7 was acquired by

Alfa Romeo in January 1955 and shipped to the United States
for display by the manufacturer at the New York and Chicago
Auto Shows. Shortly thereafter the car was purchased by the
well-known San Francisco-based importer Charles Rezzaghi
on behalf of Alfa Romeo enthusiast Al Williams, a flamboyant
restaurateur whose Fairmont Hotel penthouse establishment
hosted many of the day’s A-list celebrities. The B.A.T. 7 was
soon transported to Southern California to run the SCCA races
at Palm Springs in March 1955, and afterwards it was displayed
at Bill Doheny’s Ferrari sales office in Los Angeles.

After returning to San Francisco, the B.A.T. 7 was modified with

the removal of the fins; while this decision is no doubt shocking
to a modern observer, it must be noted that these dramatic
design features obstructed rear visibility and therefore made
street use exceedingly difficult. Acquired then by Ken Shaff, the
Alfa Romeo was repainted in Rolls-Royce sand and black, and
presented at the 1958 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Passing to collector Col. James Sorrell, the B.A.T. 7 was

entrusted to the Van Nuys shop of Sal di Natale, then one of
the West Coast’s most respected Italian car specialists. After
undergoing a sympathetic freshening, the Alfa Romeo sat
uncollected for some time, prompting di Natale to eventually
put a lien on it and assume ownership around 1969. The
mechanic went on to retain possession for 17 years, eventually
selling the car in 1986 to a private collector, at which time a
two-year refurbishment was conducted of the coachwork,
including reinstallation of the fins, to its original configuration.

14 View Additional Photos and Documentation at rmsothebys.com © Kimball Stock 15

 B.A.T. 9d (1955)
Following the B.A.T. 7’s show season of 1954, Scaglione
began work on a third concept for 1955. Perhaps sensing
some missed opportunity—as popular as the prior B.A.T.s were,
they looked utterly unlike anything sold by Alfa Romeo—Alfa
Romeo’s mandate for the final B.A.T concept was to “make it
more practical for road use.”
Thus, for his third act, Scaglione explored a roadworthy gran
turismo interpretation of the B.A.T theme. The fins were reduced
in size to improve rear visibility, and the rear wheel skirts were
eliminated. A pronounced beltline was added toward the rear,
while a standard production triangular Alfa Romeo Giulietta
grille, including the famed Milano crest, was fitted to the front
Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 9d, Turin Automobile Salon, 1955.
Courtesy of The Klemantaski Collection
16
grille, highlighting the car’s identity as an Alfa Romeo. And,
of course, the mechanical components were once again
drawn from the Alfa Romeo 1900.
The Turin Salon was again chosen to unveil the new concept
car, and the B.A.T. 9d was unsurprisingly lavished with high
praise, completing one of the most important automotive
triptychs ever devised. After the 1955 show season, this
final concept car was sold into American ownership, and it
next surfaced in the parking lot of the Sebring endurance
race in March 1956. The B.A.T. 9d was discovered there by
Chicago dealer Harry Woodnorth, and he, along with Tom
Barrett, arranged a purchase after patiently waiting for the
car’s owners to return.
© Kimball Stock
17
 Barrett later sold his share of the car to Woodnorth, and
in 1958 Woodnorth in turn sold the Alfa Romeo to Ed
Beseler of Lansing, Michigan, who repainted the body
red. After Beseler’s passing a few years later, the B.A.T. 9d
was purchased by Arlen Regis at an estate sale, and he
prominently displayed the car at the dealership he managed,
Chapin Motors of Greenville, Michigan. In 1962, 16-year-old
Gary Kaberle spotted the car at the dealership and began
relentlessly hounding Regis to sell it to him, eventually
emptying a gym bag of cash onto the dealer’s desk to trigger
a transaction.

Kaberle retained the B.A.T. 9d for 28 years, and it served

as his transport while he earned his D.D.S. Continually
maintaining the Alfa Romeo, he presented the car at the
Henry Ford Museum’s annual Sports Cars in Review in the
late 1960s. After receiving an invitation to display the car
at the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance in 1987, Dr.
Kaberle arranged to refinish the aging exterior, opting to
repaint it in silver.

18 © Kimball Stock View Additional Photos and Documentation at rmsothebys.com 19

 Nuccio Bertone on stage with all three B.A.T.s at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, 1989.

AN AUTOMOTIVE TRIPTYCH, UNITED

Study the histories of these three concepts and a surprising
fact emerges: Despite their individual popularity and collective
significance, the B.A.T.s were never displayed together when
new. But as each of the three B.A.T. cars came to the attention
of collectors in 1987, concours organizers began to dream of
assembling all three in one exhibitive setting.
The precipitating event was Nuccio Bertone’s visit to Pasadena,
California’s Art Center College of Design in 1989 to receive an
honorary degree. Seizing the opportunity, organizers of the Pebble
Beach Concours d’Elegance invited the three owners of the B.A.T.s
to the 1989 show, and the elder coachbuilder was encouraged to
travel up the coast for the occasion. With the three cars displayed
together for the first time in their history, Nuccio Bertone shared
nostalgic anecdotes of his experiences with Franco Scaglione.
Recognizing the unique appeal of keeping all three B.A.T.s together,
a private collector made an offer to each of the three owners,
and the cars became united in ownership as well. Together, the
B.A.T.s traveled to Europe during the early 1990s, being shown at
the Genoa Autostory in February 1992, the 80th Anniversary of
Bertone held in Turin, the Centre International de l’Automobile in
Pantin, Paris, and Rétromobile held in Versailles in February 1993.
The concept cars were then sent to the Blackhawk Museum

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22 © Kimball Stock 23
 The concept cars were then sent to the Blackhawk Museum
in Danville, California, where they had been on display for
over a decade. Exhibition during this period included a trip
to the Museum of Science in South Kensington, London,
and presentation at Coys International Historic Festival
in July 1994. In August 2005, the three B.A.T.s returned
to Pebble Beach, and in 2009 they were presented at
Concorso Italiano.

The important cars have also been exhibited at world-

class motoring events such as the Cartier Style et Luxe at
Goodwood, the Louis Vuitton Bagatelle Concours d‘Elegance,
and the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza. Underscoring their
broad appeal and significance as objects of mechanical art,
the three B.A.T.s were shown alongside a carefully curated
collection of significant Italian cars at the Frist Center for the
Visual Arts in Nashville, Tennessee in 2016.

Aerodynamically advanced, visually arresting, and hugely

influential, Franco Scaglione’s Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 5, 7, and 9d
occupy an intriguing space between driveable automobiles
and pure kinetic sculpture. It is incredibly unique for three
such concept cars to have been collectively owned and
maintained for so long. Offered together, this rare and
exciting opportunity affords discerning collectors a chance to
acquire perhaps the most celebrated trio of series-conceived
concept cars in automotive history—a triptych in which form
and function strike a perfect, compelling balance.

Welcome at the most prestigious international concours

d’elegance and design exhibitions worldwide, this striking
trio would be a crowning achievement of any collection of
cars and art.

View Additional Photos and Documentation at rmsothebys.com

24 © Kimball Stock 25
 1953 ALFA ROMEO B.A.T. 5 1954 ALFA ROMEO B.A.T. 7 1955 ALFA ROMEO B.A.T. 9d
CHASSIS NO. AR1900 01396 CHASSIS NO. AR1900C 01485 CHASSIS NO. AR1900 01600

Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction

28 OCTOBER 2020 | 6 PM EDT | NEW YORK
26

© Kimball Stock