Kazunori Yamauchi has crowned the unusual Autobianchi A112 Concept car as the Gran Turismo Trophy winner at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
As with every event since 2008, the Gran Turismo series creator has been on hand as one of the judges at the Concours parade, the culmination of the Monterey Car Week. Yamauchi is part of a panel which selects the overall winner at the event, which this year went to a 1932 Duesenberg J Figoni Sports Torpedo.
In addition, the Polyphony Digital founder also selects one car to his own criteria to receive the Gran Turismo Trophy special award. That not only comes with the recognition that such a prize affords but also a guarantee of digital preservation within the Gran Turismo game.
Thus far nine of the 13 previous winners have taken their place within Gran Turismo, with the latest — the 2014 champion Maserati A6GCS — added to Gran Turismo 7 only last month.
Yamauchi’s 2022 selection is one of the wildest yet. The Autobianchi A112 Concept — also known as the Runabout — never made it to production, and in fact wasn’t technically an Autobianchi model at all.
Marcello Gandini, at Bertone, designed the car to replace the Bertone-made FIAT 850 Spider. It was based around the in-development Autobianchi A112’s mechanicals — a shorter FIAT 128 platform — but with a larger, 1.1-liter engine good for around 55hp mounted behind the driver.
It was also only a two-seat car, with the body dominated by a comparatively enormous hood resulting a very cab-rearwards look. The design was intended to ape racing boats, with a red feature line down the side resembling a Plimsoll line.
While the car never went into production, it’s credited as the inspiration for the later FIAT X1/9, also designed and built by Bertone, and as influencing the design of the Lancia Stratos too.
This one-of-one car was sold as part of a 79-car lot by Bertone in 2015, as a result of bankruptcy, and found its way to the Automotoclub Storico Italiano in Turin. It was entered in the L-2: Postwar Preservation category.
The Runabout is the third successive Italian car to win the award, following the Ferrari 512S in 2021, and the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 in 2019. You can find a full list of Gran Turismo Trophy winners at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance below:
- 2008: Lamborghini Miura P400 Bertone Prototype ’67
- 2009: Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 carrozzata da Zagato ’65
- 2010: Abarth 1500 Biposto Bertone B.A.T 1 ’52
- 2011: Plymouth XNR Ghia Roadster ’60
- 2012: Ferrari 500 Mondial Pininfarina Coupe ’54
- 2013: Aston Martin DB3S ’53
- 2014: Maserati A6GCS Spider ’54
- 2015: Cunningham C-4R Competition Roadster ’52
- 2016: Ferrari 330 P4 Drogo Spyder ’66
- 2017: Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer ’29
- 2018: AAR Eagle Indy Car ’66
- 2019: Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato ’31
- 2021: Ferrari 512 S Berlinetta ’69
- 2022: Autobianchi A112 Bertone Concept ’69
We don’t know when the Autobianchi will arrive in a Gran Turismo game — or even which game — but it’ll certainly be a fascinating addition!
See more articles on Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
