Stellantis reignites the art of coachbuilding with a new bespoke atelier, BottegaFuoriserie

Once upon a time, not long after the end of the Second World War, there was a golden age of automotive design. Fuelled by post-war optimism, economic prosperity and technological innovation, a patchwork of carrozzerie – literally translated as ‘coachworks’ – popped up in Italy, each specialising in hand-crafted, highly bespoke automotive artworks.

The likes of Pininfarina, Bertone, Zagato and Touring Superleggera draped steel over rolling chassis from marques like Ferraris, Alfa Romeo and Maserati to create unique cars for aristocrats, film stars and industrialists. These cars, each individually commissioned, have gone on to be some of the world's most celebrated classics.

Now, nearly 80 years on, Stellantis is hoping to reignite this golden age of bespoke, automotive artistry with its new BottegaFuoriserie stable: a tailor-made atelier for Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

The name stems from bringing together both Bottega (meaning ‘workshop’), which will be responsible for creating more 'few-offs' like the beautiful but pricey £1.7m Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale homage, and Fuoriserie (meaning ‘special series’), which will oversee bespoke customisation across both brands.

Together, the studio acts as a small, semi‑autonomous coachbuilder inside Stellantis, while also tasked with looking after ‘Storia,’ the group’s heritage through restoration and certification, as well as ‘Corse,’ to bring a technical edge gained through the brands’ motorsport endeavours.

‘We are in a big group,’ explains BottegaFuoriserie’s general manager Cristiano Fiorio. ‘So we said we’d get all we need from the group, but let’s not get contaminated by the mainstream approach – which is not bad or good – it’s just a different business.’

Priding itself on craftsmanship, while calling on Alfa and Maserati’s weighty back catalogue of historic hits, BottegaFuoriserie will produce more ‘few-offs’ for the two brands, developed for invested customers looking for something a little different. ‘The world is becoming more homogeneous, more commoditised,’ says Fiorio. ‘The desire for aspirational objects is growing.’

For anyone commissioning a bespoke or limited run Bottega project, the build process will take around six months, warns Fiorio. ‘The real translation of Bottega is a small artisan, tailormade workshop, so it’s a highly manual, hand-crafted process, done screw by screw.’

Liking his newly formed department to a fine Italian tailor, Fiorio explains the difference between Bottega and Fuoriserie: ‘When it comes to a tailored suit, you can also buy something half done and then finalize it. It’s the same for Fuoriserie, which takes something already prepared, for you to then finalise.’

The move to create more scope for personalisation and even whole bespoke, coachbuilt cars follows the likes of Rolls-Royce, which has produced a number of spectacularly expensive coachbuilt cars for a handful of its most dedicated customers. Then there is Aston Martin, which has its ‘Q’ personalisation division, Bentley with Mulliner, Ferrari with Tailor Made, McLaren with MSO and Porsche with its Exclusive Manufaktur line. The list goes on.

Despite carmakers clamouring to establish and promote this lucrative side line, Fiorio believes BottegaFuoriserie’s mission is not just about making money. ‘When I went to the company, I showed them project by project. I didn’t tell them I want to make a fortune out of this business. I said, I want to make a fortune of brand equity for the business,’ Fiorio explains.

With an enviable history of some of the most striking and handsome cars ever made, Fiorio is committed to continuing Alfa Romeo and Maserati’s legacy for beautifully designed cars.

‘We are not here to do one batch of ‘few‑offs’ and disappear. We have already done one [in the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale], we will do another, and then another. There is a long‑term plan: every three or four years, we will bring one project to the market. Little numbers, but always consistent with the same approach.’

Keen to protect the brand equity being built by BottegaFuoriserie from market speculators, who look to commission or buy rare cars in the hope of selling them on quickly for a profit, each customer will be vetted by a specific committee. 'We will validate the candidates through a very precise and rigorous process,' he assures.

As for how electric cars might play into the elite world of ‘few-off’ models, Fiorio’s not immediately concerned. ‘Today, if you go to a traditional customer for few‑off speaking about electric, they just reject it – 90 per cent are aged between 55 to 70.’

Acknowledging that this current crop of potential buyers will look very different in 25 years’ time, Fiorio accepts there might be scope for electric or hydrogen-powered few-offs but, for him at least, the powertrain is secondary.

‘People will continue loving cars forever,’ Fiorio reassures us. ‘It’s like art – there is a renaissance or a change, but art is art. You still use it, you still collect it, it’s never going to die. The more unique cars you do, the more value they will get in time.’

In an age of algorithmic and increasingly anonymous design that puts distance between human hands and car design, BottegaFuoriserie is championing the artisan. While channelling the charm and charisma of the 1950s and 1960s Carrozzerie’s creations is certainly nostalgic, reminding people of the reasons why generations have fallen in love with the idea of owning an Alfa Romeo or Maserati is also a smart business move. Bravo, BottegaFuoriserie.

Maserati.com, @Maserati

AlfaRomeo.co.uk, @AlfaRomeoOfficial