The Bertone Freeclimber was an off-roader built by the Italian coachbuilder Bertone between 1989 and 1992. It was a lightly restyled Daihatsu Rocky F75 fitted with BMW six-cylinder engines, and in Italy it was also used by the Carabinieri.
Bertone Freeclimber at a glance
| Maker | Bertone, Italy |
|---|---|
| Production | 1989–1992 |
| Based on | Daihatsu Rocky F75 |
| Body | metal top or cabriolet with hardtop |
| Petrol engines | 2.0 L and 2.7 L six-cylinder, BMW |
| Diesel engine | 2.4 L six-cylinder turbodiesel, BMW |
| Power | 129 hp (95 kW) petrol; 116 hp (85 kW) diesel |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive, selectable front, low range |
| Suspension | rigid axles front and rear |
| Distinguishing features | four round headlights, alloy wheels |
The Freeclimber itself is described only in the Italian Wikipedia article; the English article covers the Daihatsu Rugger it was based on.
History of the Bertone Freeclimber
A Rocky with a Bertone face
The Freeclimber was not a clean-sheet design. Bertone took the Daihatsu Rocky F75, the long-wheelbase version of the Japanese off-roader, and restyled it lightly. The body was almost identical to the Japanese car; what changed was the grille, which carried four round headlights, and the light-alloy wheels. Inside, very few details differed from the Rocky apart from the Bertone badges.
BMW power
The reason for the model was the engine bay. Instead of the Daihatsu units, the Freeclimber used BMW six-cylinders: a 2.0 L petrol engine of 129 hp (95 kW) at 6,000 rpm with 160 N·m at 4,300 rpm, a 2.7 L petrol six of the same 129 hp at 4,800 rpm with 230 N·m at 3,200 rpm, and a 2.4 L turbodiesel of 116 hp (85 kW) at 4,800 rpm with 220 N·m at 2,200 rpm. The layout of the Rocky was kept: rigid axles front and rear, rear-wheel drive with a selectable front axle and a low-range transfer box.
Two bodies and a police career
The Freeclimber was sold with a metal top or as a cabriolet with a hardtop. In Italy the Arma dei Carabinieri used the car, which gave the small series a visibility it would not otherwise have had. Production ended in 1992 after about three years, and the Freeclimber remained a niche model built in small numbers by a coachbuilder rather than a major manufacturer.
The car underneath
The Daihatsu Rocky F75 on which it was based belonged to the F70/F80 family built from 1984 to 2002. The long-wheelbase body was 325 mm longer than the short one, the chassis was a ladder frame with leaf-sprung live axles, and the four-wheel drive was part-time: until 1991 the driver had to lock the front hubs by hand. A transfer case provided five extra low gears for rough terrain, and the range included soft-top, hardtop and wagon bodies.
Design and features
- BMW six-cylinders: 2.0 and 2.7 petrol units and a 2.4 turbodiesel, none of them available in the Japanese Rocky.
- Bertone restyling: a new grille with four round headlights and alloy wheels on an otherwise unchanged body.
- Real off-road hardware: ladder frame, rigid axles, selectable four-wheel drive and a low-range transfer box.
- Italian police service: the Arma dei Carabinieri used the Freeclimber in Italy.
Bertone Freeclimber versions
- Metal top: the closed body version.
- Cabriolet: open body supplied with a hardtop.
- 2.0 L petrol: 129 hp at 6,000 rpm, 160 N·m at 4,300 rpm.
- 2.7 L petrol: 129 hp at 4,800 rpm, 230 N·m at 3,200 rpm.
- 2.4 L turbodiesel: 116 hp at 4,800 rpm, 220 N·m at 2,200 rpm.
Other Bertone cars on this site include the Carabo concept and the Bertone X1/9. More cars are in the Bertone collection.
Video: Bertone Freeclimber td6 vs Patrol 3.3D
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Bertone Freeclimber, Italian Wikipedia: production years, body, engines, Carabinieri use
- Daihatsu Rugger, English Wikipedia: the Rocky F75 and its chassis, four-wheel drive and bodies
