When we think of Marcello Gandini, we immediately think of icons such as the Lamborghini Countach or the Miura. Sharp lines, extreme proportions, a futuristic vision of the automobile. However, in the 1970s, the Italian designer signed a far more unexpected project: a minibus. Fiat. A utility vehicle, to be sure, but designed with the same avant-garde approach as its supercars. The result is a minibus that stands apart from the crowd, and has become a highly sought-after curiosity.
The VIP minibus designed for Gianni Agnelli
In the heart of the 1970s, Gianni Agnelli was massively expanding Fiat factories across Italy. To welcome prestigious visitors (industrialists, politicians, partners) with dignity, he wanted a vehicle to match his image. After several trials based on the Fiat 600 Multipla and then the Fiat 850 T Familiare, Agnelli decided to go one step further. He called on Bertone, and more specifically Gandini, to create a true “VIP bus”. The result was unveiled in 1975 at the Turin Motor Show: a futuristic, geometric minibus, almost brutalist in its design, but thought through to the last detail to offer a unique experience.
Unique architecture: six doors and panoramic roof
Based on the Fiat 850 T, this Visitors Bus is anything but a conventional utility vehicle. Its cubic silhouette conceals a radically different design. Each passenger has his or her own door: six doors in all for six individual seats. A configuration as rare as it is ingenious, designed to facilitate access during factory visits.
But the most spectacular feature was the huge panoramic Plexiglas roof. A veritable glass roof that allowed guests to observe the Fiat production lines in total comfort, bathed in light. On board, everything was designed for comfort: individual seats, double air-conditioning - a rare luxury at the time - and a surprisingly upmarket ambience for a vehicle derived from an SUV.
Bertone's bodywork is based on a familiar technology. The minibus is fitted with a rear-mounted 4-cylinder 843 cm³ engine developing around 47 hp. Combined with a semi-automatic transmission, this engine was not intended to shine on the open road. Its playground was the aisles of Fiat factories, where it ensured smooth, quiet travel.
Ultra-confidential production
Fiat has never officially communicated the number of units produced. But estimates converge: fewer than six units were produced. Today, only two examples remain in existence.
The one up for auction has a particularly interesting history. Registered in 1977 in the name of Fiat S.p.A. in Turin, it was most likely used exactly for its intended purpose: transporting guests within the group's industrial complexes. After leaving Turin in the 1980s, it had several owners in Italy, before passing into the hands of collectors. Its history is perfectly documented, an essential point for this type of unique vehicle.
Auction in the heart of Lake Como
This Fiat Bertone 850 T Visitors Bus will be on sale at the prestigious Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2026, held on the shores of Lake Como. The event, considered one of the most prestigious elegance competitions in the world, will bring together over 70 exceptional classic cars. Among them, models such as the Ferrari F40the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 or the Ferrari Monza SP2, estimated at several million euros. And yet, in the midst of all these supercars, this Fiat minibus could well attract just as much attention.
Estimated at between €80,000 and €120,000, this minibus will be offered without a reserve price. This may seem a high price for an old van, but it's almost “affordable” when compared with the millions demanded for some of the cars on sale. But this is no ordinary Fiat. You're buying a unique piece of Italian motoring, designed by one of the greatest designers of all time. An object halfway between concept car, industrial tool and work of design.
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