3 stunning 1950s-era concept cars have hit the market and are expected to rake in up to $20 million at auction
Tim Levin
- Three beautiful midcentury concept cars are expected to rake in as much as $20 million at auction later this month.
- Alfa Romeo commissioned the BAT 5, 7, and 9d as studies in aerodynamic efficiency and revealed them in 1953, 1954, and 1955, respectively.
- A collector bought all three cars in 1989 and will sell them as a package October 28 through RM Sotheby's.
Three stunning Alfa Romeo concept cars from the 1950s will go up for sale on October 28, and they're expected to fetch up to $20 million at auction.
The trio of one-off vehicles — the Berlina Aerodynamica Tecnica 5, 7, and 9d — were studies in aerodynamic efficiency commissioned by Alfa Romeo and built by design studio Bertone from 1953 to 1955. In that pursuit of minimal drag and optimal efficiency, Bertone created some of the most elegant, beautiful concept cars of all time.
The models all sport futuristic styling that looks right out of "The Jetsons," with swooping lines, teardrop shapes, and giant wing-like fins that make the acronym BAT an apt description. RM Sotheby's is selling the striking cars as a set — not during a car auction, however, but alongside contemporary art.
The classic-car market is still going strong, despite the pandemic-fueled economic downturn. As auction houses moved their events online, they brokered some of the most expensive web-based sales ever. RM Sotheby's, for its part, sold a 2003 Ferrari Enzo sold for $2.6 million in June.
Take a closer look at the BAT concepts below:
Three gorgeous Alfa Romeo concept cars from the 1950s are up for sale through RM Sotheby's.
The BAT 5, 7, and 9d cross the block on October 28 as a trio, and the auction house estimates that they'll sell for between $14 million and $20 million.
Alfa Romeo had one car built each year from 1953 to 1955 — they were designed by Franco Scaglione and manufactured by Bertone.
In producing the concepts, Alfa Romeo aimed to experiment with aerodynamic design and minimize drag.
Hence the cars' dramatic tail fins ...
... teardrop shape ...
... and closed-in wheel wells.
And Bertone succeeded in making the cars very efficient — the black 1953 BAT 5 clocked a top speed of 123.6 mph despite its small 43-horsepower engine.
The blue BAT 7 from 1954 was even more advanced, earning a coefficient of drag of .19 that makes it slipperier than the Tesla Model S.
With the 1955 BAT 9d, Alfa Romeo sought to build something a bit more practical for the road, even though the car was never mass produced.
It shares styling with the previous two concepts, but is a bit more understated, with less prominent wings and a more conventional front end.
All three vehicles were sold off after their respective auto show seasons, changing hands several times over the decades.
One owner of the BAT 7 had its fins removed for better visibility.
But it — and all the other BAT models — were eventually restored.
After seeing all three cars displayed together at the 1989 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, a private collector made offers each owner and united the trio.
Now more than 30 years later, that collector is parting ways with the group.
Sotheby's describes the cars as an "automotive triptych" and is selling them during its Contemporary Art Evening sale on October 28.
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