In the past five years, design firm Italdesign has put its unique spin on a Nissan supercar — the GT-R50 — and produced a five-example hypercar of its own to boot: the terrifyingly technical ZeroUno.

This summer, Italdesign presented the motoring world with a departure: an electric two-wheeler from Ducati that the company revised into a mechanical proposition that neatly juxtaposes, or even conflates, then and now. As of now, it’s just a concept, but even a cursory gander at the nostalgic riff on alternative energy-powered motorcycles makes us sincerely hope that by the time now becomes then the nifty bike is in production…however unlikely the possibility.

The bike picks up where the 1970s 860GT left off; unsurprising, then, that the concept has been given the moniker 860-E. Like the 860GT, the E-version merges the lines of the tank section and the saddle. The halo-like headlamp is nicely representative of the bike’s philosophical foundation. The connection between the two bikes is stronger than mere inspiration; the 860GT was designed by Italdesign co-founder Giorgetto Giugiaro.

The 860-E Concept will, for now, remain a concept. But it does indicate possibilities for the future.