By now you know I love everything to do
with Italy, not just a little, a lot! The culture, language, music, food,
people, and of course, the cars.
If you’d have been with me at the Geneva
Salon in 2014, we would have walked the short distance from the huge Bentley
Motors stand, to a rather more prosaic display maintained by Touring Superleggera. We would have joined the team in a glass of Prosecco, or maybe
a doppio espresso, and discussed the firm’s latest project.
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2014 Disco Volante Coupe |
In 2014 we would have been celebrating Design
Director, Louis de Fabribecker’s latest - a beautiful, modern and
volupturous re-imagining of the 1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante.
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1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante, by Touring of Milan |
This year the media was dazzled by Touring Superleggera's Disco Volante Spyder!
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2016 Disco Volante Spyder, by Touring Superleggera |
Built on the platform and mechanicals of an
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, the artisans at Touring Superleggera hand built
everything you see here. From the peerless body finish and
paint work, to the luxurious, leather-wrapped interior.
Touring of Milan was founded in 1926, and this year celebrates its 90th anniversary, now known as Touring Superleggera.
It is the last man standing.
It is the last of the famous Italian carrozzeria to have survived, with its spirit intact, and prospered.
My good friend, Emanuele Bedetti, the firm’s PR consultant, explains that
since being snatched from the financial scrapheap in 2007, Touring Superleggera has fashioned
its survival, and a business plan, around developing unique designs, fabricated
over existing production car platforms, to specific orders from wealthy clients, who as far as I'm concerned exhibit
the essence of good taste.
So it was, at this year’s Geneva Salon,
Touring Superleggera presented what I think is one of the most beautiful, elegant, seductive
and complete Italian sports cars for the age.
E Voilá. The Disco Volante Spyder. Just
take a look at this. Isn’t it one of the most beautiful automotive sculptures
you’ve seen?
Once again, built to private order, and
based on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, the Spyder was easily the star of the
Salon as far as I’m concerned.
I’ll be very surprised if Touring Superleggera didn’t
leave Geneva without a fistful of orders.
In the following Post I will concentrate on details about the design and construction, but I really think these photos convey the spirit
of the car very convincingly.
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