The Bertone Shake was built on a SIMCA 1200 S chassis, the same one used for the coupé created by the Turin designer for the French manufacturer. The "dune buggy" idea had captured Bertone's attention, and he decided to try his hand at this type of vehicle, albeit on a different level from the typical "home-made" car. A prototype like this was conditioned by the need to guarantee safety in all driving conditions because the car would often be used off-road, and the SIMCA 1200 S chassis was therefore adapted to include some stylistic elements used in a previous design (the 1969 Runabout). The Turin designer also devoted the same level of attention that had gone into preparing and adapting the car's structure to cope with difficult conditions to the finishing touches. The Bertone Shake was presented at the 1970 Paris Motor Show to widespread acclaim among the younger visitors.
Source: www.bertone.it
Images: Bertone; www.csi-auto.nl