Porsche 911 Roadster

Vehicle Overview

The one-off Porsche 911 Roadster Bertone, unveiled at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, was a unique creation tailored for an American dealership. Originally conceived with the possibility of a limited series for the American market, Bertone faced a challenging task: fitting out a Porsche chassis known for its atypical size and shape. The objective was clear—to maintain the high standards of technical prowess and design excellence synonymous with the Porsche brand. The prototype, designed with a strong focus on safety, featured a distinctive separation of the cockpit from the rest of the vehicle. This design element was achieved through a deep swage line running from the windscreen along the upper edge of the doors to the engine compartment. This innovative solution not only enhanced safety but also allowed for notably low wings, a departure from the typical design for cars of its type. Emphasizing safety further, the dashboard was intricately styled, with main instruments arranged vertically down the center and a compact fascia discreetly positioned behind the steering wheel. The Porsche 911 Roadster became a fusion of innovative concepts, drawing inspiration from the Testudo in 1963 and incorporating successful styling elements from the Fiat 850 Spider in 1965. This unique roadster not only showcased Bertone’s ability to meet challenging design briefs but also reflected the collaboration’s commitment to delivering a product that not only met the high-quality standards of the Porsche brand but also added new dimensions to the design language of sports cars from that era.