The myth of Italian coachbuilders: Carrozzeria Touring

Roarington's discovery journey of Italy's most important coachbuilders arrives today at Carrozzeria Touring, which revolutionized the automotive world with a new way of manufacturing that was destined to set the standard. In 1926, the two Milanese lawyers Gaetano Ponzoni and Felice Bianchi Anderloni, brother-in-law of Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo Fraschini, acquired Carrozzeria Falco from Vittorio Ascari, brother of driver Antonio. Touring began its operations in the immediate suburbs north of Milan, a location not coincidentally located near the headquarters of Alfa Romeo, Citröen Italia and Isotta Fraschini. It was precisely the cars of these brands that would be the first to be “dressed” by the Milanese coachbuilder.

Carrozzeria Touring was able to innovate the “Superleggera” construction method that made its racing debut at the 1937 Mille Miglia on the Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B.

Touring did not limit itself to the design styling of the bodywork and carefully considered the technical side of the design with the goal of reducing weight and improving aerodynamics. The first step was to acquire a license to construct according to the Weymann system, which allowed the heavy iron sheets to be replaced with lighter panels made of pegamoid-a leather-like fabric-attached to the body, which was also lightened.

The problems arising from the use of this material, which tended to crack and dry out, prompted Bianchi Anderloni to study his own construction method, which was patented in 1936 under the name “Superleggera.” Using techniques borrowed from aeronautics, the wooden structure of the body was replaced by a lattice of thin Chromium-Molybdenum steel tubes covered with panels of aluminum or other increasingly light and strong alloys. The first car to debut the “Superleggera” system was the Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B, which finished fourth overall at the 1937 Mille Miglia.

Enzo Ferrari's first two 1940 Auto Avio Costruzioni-branded cars were coachbuilt by Touring.

Another futuristic development for those times was the study of aerodynamics to improve air penetration. Before production, all bodies were created in scale models and tested in the wind tunnels of Breda or the Milan Polytechnic until one was built in-house. Throughout its history it collaborated with all major Italian brands and many foreign ones such as Bugatti, Mercedes, Talbot, Bristol, Pegaso, Hudson, Frazer-Nash and Aston Martin. Both in racing and on the road, Carrozzeria Touring achieved sporting and commercial success.

Not even the death of Felice Bianchi Anderloni in 1948, who found a worthy heir in his son Carlo Felice, halted the growth of the brand and in 1948 it announced its collaboration with Ferrari. This was nothing new: Enzo's first two cars from 1940, branded Auto Avio Costruzioni, had been bodied by Touring itself. The work on the 166 MM, however, was magnificent: The immaculate styling was accompanied by sporting successes such as the Mille Miglia and then the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949. The name “Barchetta,” meaning small boat, was born that day.

The collaboration with Enzo Ferrari continued in 1948 with the first Cavallino Rampante bodied by Touring. It was the 166 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949 in the MM version.

Important technical innovations went along with unprecedented and, unfortunately, ill-advised marketing choices with the aim of producing, on behalf of manufacturers, small series of cars. This worked with limited orders such as for Bristol, Aston Martin and Hudson. The agreement to produce as many as 10,000 cars a year for Rootes was unwise and unfortunate. The sudden death of Lord William Rootes in 1963 causes the cancellation of the contract causing Touring to plunge into a severe financial crisis. Traditional bodywork couldn't handle the financial burdens of a large factory and Touring, sadly and unexpectedly, was forced to close its doors in 1966.

Numerous foreign brands collaborated with Touring, especially British ones including Aston Martin. The agreement with Rootes to produce 10000 cars a year, however, proved to be a boomerang leading to the company's closure.