For one hundred years, Touring Superleggera has stood for a philosophy that extends far beyond automobile design.
It is a philosophy where craftsmanship outweighs mass production, elegance takes precedence over excess, and every car is treated as a work of art rather than simply a means of transportation.
Since its founding in Milan in 1926, Touring Superleggera has shaped some of the most beautiful grand tourers ever created, collaborating with marques such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati and Bristol. Along the way, it introduced the revolutionary Superleggera construction method, a lightweight body-building technique that became one of the defining innovations of twentieth-century automotive design.
To celebrate its centenary, the Italian coachbuilder has unveiled a model that perfectly encapsulates its heritage: the Superleggera Veloce12 Aperta.
More than a new car, it represents one hundred years of Italian automotive artistry.
One Hundred Years of Touring Superleggera
Founded by Felice Bianchi Anderloni and Gaetano Ponzoni, Carrozzeria Touring quickly established itself as one of Italy’s most respected coachbuilders.
Its greatest innovation arrived in 1936 with the patented Superleggera (“super lightweight”) construction system, which combined a lightweight tubular framework with hand-formed aluminium body panels. The result was lighter, stronger and visually more elegant automobiles than many of their contemporaries.
Throughout the following decades, Touring became responsible for some of the most iconic grand tourers ever built.
The Aston Martin DB4, DB5 and DB6.
The Alfa Romeo Disco Volante.
The Maserati 3500 GT.
The Lamborghini 350 GT.
Numerous Ferrari berlinettas and barchettas.
These automobiles helped define what many enthusiasts still consider the golden age of Italian coachbuilding.
Although the original company ceased production during the 1960s, the Touring Superleggera name returned in the twenty-first century with a renewed focus on bespoke coachbuilt automobiles, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary engineering.
The Return of the Coachbuilder
Unlike conventional manufacturers, Touring does not simply build new production cars.
Instead, it creates highly exclusive automobiles based on existing platforms, completely redesigning their exterior bodywork while enhancing engineering, materials and craftsmanship.
Every project is developed in extremely limited numbers, and every commission reflects the traditions established a century ago.
This philosophy has produced remarkable creations such as the Disco Volante, Aero3, Arese RH95 and, more recently, the Veloce12 family.
The Veloce12: Returning to the Golden Age of Grand Touring
Unveiled in 2024, the Superleggera Veloce12 immediately became one of Touring’s most celebrated modern creations.
Based on the Ferrari 550 Maranello, the project reimagines one of Ferrari’s finest front-engined V12 grand tourers through the lens of contemporary Italian coachbuilding.
Rather than replacing the character of the original, Touring refined it.
The naturally aspirated 5.5-litre V12 was carefully upgraded to produce approximately 503 horsepower while retaining its unmistakable mechanical purity. The iconic six-speed gated manual gearbox remained untouched, preserving one of the defining pleasures of driving a classic Ferrari. Meanwhile, carbon-fibre bodywork, adaptive suspension and extensive chassis refinements transformed the driving experience without sacrificing the soul of the donor car.
Only thirty examples were commissioned, with each requiring around 5,000 hours of craftsmanship to complete.
The Veloce12 demonstrated that there remains enormous demand for beautifully engineered analogue grand tourers in an increasingly digital automotive landscape.
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Veloce12 Barchetta: Pure Open-Air Emotion
One year later, Touring expanded the family with the Veloce12 Barchetta.
While sharing its Ferrari 550 Maranello foundations with the coupé, the Barchetta pursued a far more emotional interpretation of the concept.
Inspired by the open sports racers of the 1940s and 1950s, it discarded the fixed roof entirely, replacing it with dramatic flowing bodywork and a striking rear design unlike anything ever offered by Ferrari itself.
The naturally aspirated V12 remained at the heart of the experience, complemented by improved cooling, revised suspension and subtle performance enhancements. Yet the Barchetta was never intended as a circuit machine.
It celebrated wind, sound and mechanical engagement.
A modern interpretation of the great Italian roadsters that once dominated Europe’s most beautiful coastal roads.
Its rarity only enhanced its appeal, becoming one of Touring’s most exclusive projects to date.
The New Veloce12 Aperta
To mark its centenary, Touring has now introduced the Superleggera Veloce12 Aperta, completing what has become a remarkable trilogy.
Positioned between the elegant coupé and the uncompromising Barchetta, the Aperta adopts a removable targa-style roof that combines open-air driving with the practicality expected from a true grand tourer. Rather than pursuing radical minimalism, Touring designed the Aperta for long-distance journeys, allowing occupants to enjoy the naturally aspirated V12 beneath the open sky without sacrificing refinement.
Visually, the Aperta continues Touring’s unmistakable design language.
Its flowing carbon-fibre bodywork references classic Italian GTs while introducing contemporary detailing, beautifully integrated LED lighting and sculpted surfaces that emphasise elegance rather than aggression.
The removable roof panels, aluminium rear arch and bespoke luggage compartments further reinforce its grand touring character.
Beneath the handcrafted bodywork lies the same celebrated 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 and six-speed manual transmission that define the Veloce12. Adaptive suspension, modern braking systems and carefully tuned chassis refinements ensure the driving experience remains every bit as engaging as the aesthetics suggest.
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Celebrating Analogue Driving
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Veloce12 family is not its performance.
It is its philosophy.
In an era increasingly dominated by hybrid systems, digital interfaces and automated driving technologies, Touring continues to celebrate mechanical interaction.
A naturally aspirated V12.
A polished metal gated manual gearbox.
Hydraulic steering feel.
Handcrafted materials.
These are qualities that many believed had disappeared forever.
Touring demonstrates that they remain not only relevant, but deeply desirable.
A Century Built on Beauty
Few automotive companies can genuinely claim to have shaped the history of design.
Touring Superleggera is one of them.
From the Aston Martin DB5 to the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante, from Ferrari berlinettas of the 1950s to the contemporary Veloce12 family, the Milanese coachbuilder has consistently demonstrated that elegance never goes out of fashion.
The Veloce12 Aperta is therefore much more than a centenary model.
It is a celebration of everything Touring has represented for one hundred years.
Craftsmanship.
Lightweight engineering.
Timeless proportions.
And the belief that the world’s finest automobiles should be driven with emotion rather than merely admired.
As Touring Superleggera enters its second century, the Veloce12 Aperta serves as a reminder that true coachbuilding is not simply part of automotive history.
It remains one of its most inspiring futures.