The Bertrandt Group at the 2000 International Automobile Salon in Geneva: Presenting the Bertrandt Competence Car – the Bertrandt Group’ s first roadworthy prototype

At this year’ s International Auto Show taking place from March 2 – 12, 2000 in Geneva, the Bertrandt Group will be presenting the first roadworthy prototype to be devel-oped and constructed entirely by the company.

The Bertrandt Competence Car, the BCC, will showcase the engineering services company’ s comprehensive development skills in Hall 1, Stand 1151.

The path to complete development competence

With the Bertrandt Competence Car, which debuted at the 1999 IAA in Frankfurt - the Bertrandt Group took a major step forward in setting up a continuous development-process chain: the Bertrandt pick-up was developed and built in less than 11 months.

A precondition hereto was the steady expansion in the development- process chain by building up and enlarging the range of services and by investing in new technologies provided by the company’ s other subsidiaries, as well as the majority holding acquired in the Zapadtka + Ritter GmbH & Co. KG. company (ZR) in December 1998, which gave the Bertrandt Group access to comprehensive sheet-metal know-how for manufacturing near-series prototype parts.

Design development and Construction

Early in August 1998, the decision was made to actually build a ready to drive prototype in form of a pick-up. On taking the looks, the costs and the tight schedule into account it was decided to modify and redesign a vehicle which is already on the market.

The first ready to drive prototype was to be developed on the basis of the M Class, in the development of which Bertrandt had been involved to a considerable extent. In collaboration with Daimler-Chrysler it was decided during joint design development to cut the M Class behind the B pillar in a parallel network above the feature line and to build up the new surfaces. The new data was produced in just two and a half months in Sindelfingen.

Bertrandt Concept Car Sketch

To accompany the project there were also tests con-ducted using state-of-the-art simulation (digital mock-up) and visualization techniques (real-time renderings). In parallel, tests in the technical computing department as well as flow simulations, were made.

Completion

In mid-May 1999, work had been completed to the extent that the pick-up could be painted. During the four weeks after printing, the BCC was put together and the interior parts fitted. At the end of July 1999 the time had come: thanks to excellent cooperation between the Bertrandt branches that participated in the re-design and contributed their specialized know-how, the Bertrandt Group had built its first ready to drive prototype - the BCC.

Background

For 25 years now the Bertrandt Group has been solving complex development tasks on behalf of the international automobile industry. As a public limited company, listed on the Stock Exchange, Bertrandt reached a turnover of 287,6 million German marks (DM) for the business year 1998/99 (previous year: 182.9 million DM) and forecasts a turnover of 370 million DM in 1999/00. On September 30, 1999, Bertrandt Group employed 2,378 people and is represented at 24 national and international locations, situated close to its key clients.

These include automobile manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Jaguar, Opel, PCA, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Seat and Volkswagen as well as various system suppliers. The Bertrandt name is synonymous at home and abroad for international know-how. Innovative solutions are implemented in the fields of bodywork, interior, suspension, engine and mechanical assembly areas, in close co-operation with customers. Highly efficient project management ensures outstanding quality and a high degree of flexibility.