Carrozzeria Touring is an automobile coachbuilder established on March 25, 1926 in Milan, Italy by Felice Bianchi Anderloni (1882–1948) and Gaetano Ponzoni. Carrozzeria Touring became well known for both the beauty of its designs and patented superleggera construction methods.
After achieving success through the middle of the 20th century, business began to decline as automobile manufacturers replaced body-on-frame automobile construction with monocoque construction and increasingly took coachbuilding in-house. The original firm ceased production in 1966, but Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni and Carrozzeria Marazzi preserved the "Touring Superleggera" trademark and used it on several occasions to support the company's heritage. The trademark was purchased by the current owner, Zeta Europe BV, which resumed business activities in 2006 under the name Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera s.r.l. The firm is headquartered in Carrozzeria Touring's hometown of Milan, Italy and operates under Head of Design Louis de Fabribeckers.
Carrozzeria Falco becomes Carrozzeria TouringCarrozzeria Touring traces its roots to the 1926 purchase of a controlling interest in the Milan based coachbuilder, Carrozzeria Falco, by Milanese lawyers Felice Bianchi Anderloni (1882–1948) and Gaetano Ponzoni from Carrozeria Falco's founder, Vittorio Ascari. The new owners changed the name of the firm to Carrozzeria Touring. Bianchi Anderloni, a former test driver for Isotta-Fraschini and Peugeot Italia employee, assumed styling and engineering duties while Ponzoni assumed responsibility for administration of the firms business activities
Early workCarrozzeria Touring's location at Via Ludovico da Breme 65 placed the coachbuilder in close proximity to automobile manufacturers Alfa Romeo, Citroën and Isotta-Fraschini. Predictably, Touring's first bodywork assignments were for chassis produced by these companies.
Development of the Superleggera construction systemBianchi Anderloni came to Touring more as an automobile designer than a car constructor, and learned the mechanics of the trade as the company progressed. The company licensed Charles Weymann's system of fabric-covered lightweight frames, a predecessor of their own Superleggera construction system. Touring hired Giuseppe Seregni, who previously collaborated with Bianchi Anderloni on the 1927 Isotta-Fraschini 'Flying Star', as Carrozzeria Touring's first professional designer.
Touring's skills with light alloy and fabric-covered tubing forms brought commercial success in aircraft production in the 1930s, leading Bianchi Anderloni to develop the Superleggera construction system, patented in 1936. This "super lightweight" system consists of a structure of small diameter tubes to form the body's shape with thin alloy panels attached to cover and strengthen the framework. Aside from light weight, the Superleggera construction system gave great flexibility, allowing Touring to quickly construct innovative body shapes.
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia from the Ralph Lauren collection
Carrozzeria Touring "Superleggera" badge on a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C
Prior to World War II, Touring gained fame for their Superleggera bodies, particularly those made for the Alfa Romes 8C 2900 and the BMW 328 chassis
Post WWII activitiesThe company quickly re-energized after the war, with the Superleggera system widely licensed and copied. Felice Bianchi Anderloni died in 1948 and his son, Carlo Felice "Cici" Bianchi Anderloni, (1916–2003) took over management of the firm under the guidance of Ponzoni. The two would remain in charge of the firm until the company discontinued production in 1966.
Cici's first major project was to create a body for the Ferrari 166 Mille Miglia Touring barchetta, which debuted in 1948. Automotive design critic Robert Cumberford has referred to the body design for the 166 as "One of the most charismatic shapes ever." The egg-crate grill of the 166 became a signature Ferrari design element and is still in use by Ferrari today on the California.Touring was particularly active late in the 1950s, with series production of bodies for the Pegaso Z-102, Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint, Alfa Romeo 2600, Aston Martin DB4, Lancia Flaminia GT, Lamborghini 350, Lamborghini 400 GT and Maserati 3500 GT. The firm also worked with Hudson Motors chief stylist Frank Spring on the development of the 1954 Hudson Italia.
Declining fortunesTouring's fortunes began to decline as automobile manufacturers replaced body-on-frame construction with monocoque construction and took coachbuilding activities in-house. Competing for the ever declining amount of coachbuilding work that remained, Touring lost out to larger competitors like Pininfarina and ItalDesign. The company's efforts to adhere to traditional methods and high standards ultimately led to its downfall, with the firm finally ceasing production in 1966.
Many of the Touring's workers went to Carrozzeria Marazzi, which continued to build bodies for Lamborghini. "Cici" Bianchi Anderloni became an advisor to the Alfa Romeo design department, eventually becoming head of Alfa Romeo design.
List of Touring cars 1930s Alfa Romeo 8C
1940s BMW 328
1940s Alfa Romeo 2500
1950s Alfa Romeo 1900 SS (Super Sprint)
1950s Pegaso Z-102
1950s Bristol 401
1959-1962 Lancia Flaminia GT, GTL and Convertible
1956 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark II Spider (3 produced)
1957-1962 Maserati 3500 GT
1959-1960 Maserati 5000 Scià di Persia
1960s Alfa Romeo 2000 and Alfa Romeo 2600 convertible
1960s Fiat 124 Cabrio
1960s O.S.C.A. 1600 GT and 1050 Spider
1965 Autobianchi Primula Coupe
1959-1962 Aston Martin DB4 (built under license by Aston Martin)
1961-1965 Lagonda Rapide (built under license by Aston Martin)
1963-1966 Lamborghini 350 GT/GTV, Lamborghini 400 GT
1940 Auto Avio Costruzioni 815
1948 Ferrari 166 Inter Coupe
1951 Ferrari 195 Inter Coupe
1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe
1952 Ferrari 340 MM Spider
1952-1958 Pegaso Z-102
1953 Hudson Italia
1963-1964 Sunbeam Venezia
1964 Alfa Romeo GTC
1966-1976 Jensen Interceptor
2008 Maserati A8GCS Berlinetta (prototype based on the Maserati Coupé Gransport)
2008 Maserati Bellagio Fastback (based on the Maserati Quattroporte)
Pegaso Z-102
Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Spyder
