If, like me, you’ve never heard of the Bertone Pirana, then you’ll most likely enjoy the following video from Jay Leno’s Garage.
Based on a 1967 Jaguar XKE (or E-Type as the rest of the world knows it), the 1967 Bertone Pirana is a fully-functional, one-off show car commissioned by the Daily Telegraph newspaper in a publicity stunt meant to help raise circulation.
With a steel body designed by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini and chassis and engine from a Jaguar E-Type, the car cost the Daily Telegraph $16,000 to make. It was unveiled at the 1967 London auto show in Italy and sold only a year later for $17,000.
It’s an interesting combination between British engineering and Italian styling, and it’s even more interesting when one realizes the car was unveiled before the Lamborghini Espada (another of Gandini’s works). Given their resemblance, it can be considered a forefather of the Espada, which arrived a year later.
There’s a lot more to find out about the Pirana from the video, including some driving impressions, so head down to watch it.