2009 IDEA Era Barchetta Concept

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, IDEA Institute has revealed ERA, a roadster concept vehicle with an essential design that aims at expressing the spirit of Italian car styling through instinctively drawn shapes.
Únveiled at the Company's headquarters on Thursday May 15, the ERA officialy debuts at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin (19-20 May 2008).





ERA is the first in a series of models representing a renewed IDEA Institute.

The car is the fruit of the work of a team of young designers who apply their expertise to car styling projects as well as to the design of motorcycles and a wide range of industrial products.



'Its smooth curves come to life from taut yet harmonious lines which give the car its elegant yet powerful appearance. Its simple interior, composed of a visible tubular structure, expresses the car's pure essential nature typical to sports cars.'

About the I.DE.A. Institute

Founded in 1978 as a family-run company by Franco Mantegazza, IDEA Institute has transferred from its original operating centres in Moncalieri to a 12,000 square metre facility in Turin and has added three branches in Europe and Asia.

Over the years such great names as Renzo Piano, Walter de Silva and Ercole Spada have cooperated with IDEA Institute.


On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, IDEA Institute has begun a renewal process aimed at further building the company to develop even more successful projects in an ever more dynamic way for its international customers:

• the Design Center is expanding and is equipped with state of the art tools to work closely with customers on the styling of their new vehicle models as well as on IDEA Institute's own show and concept cars for future Motor Shows.

• Design to Cost activities will grow both on domestic and international markets along with IDEA Institute's long-standing capabilities in low cost vehicles.

• A renewed image and a new brand identity for the Design Center will be introduced.

During its 30 years' of activity, IDEA Institute has worked with the world's major vehicle manufacturers providing Design, Engineering and Prototyping services as well as complete turn-key projects.

In addition to its Headquarters in Turin, the company has built up an international network with facilities in China (Shanghai), France (Paris) and Rumania (Pitesti), with an engineering team based in India and the planned branch in Brazil.

Since 2000, IDEA Institute has been part of the Swiss multi-national Rieter Group with its headquarters in Winterthur, Switzerland, around 15,500 employees worldwide and 2007 sales of 3.93 billion Swiss Francs.

Source - IDEA Institute