THE FUTURE OF ELEGANCE
The “Superleggera”
patent, which
allowed maximum
weight reduction
in the bodywork
of extreme sport
cars, allowed
Touring to excel in
competitions. The
company’s prize list
includes 11 overall
victories in the
Mille Miglia race,
nine of which in
consecutive years.
The Superleggera
licensing agreement
with Aston Martin
for the DB4 set a 9
British Pound fee
per car for the first
500 automobiles
sold, and a 5
Pound fee for the
following vehicles
… but back then you
could buy a DB4 with
2700 British Pounds!
sign languages for the iconic British brand:
on one hand agile, compact and minimalist,
yet exciting lines, on the other hand a very
modern and dynamic character thanks to its
electric driveline. The Mini Superleggera™
Vision won ‘Best Concept Car of the Year’
at Salon Prive’ and at the Festival Automobile
International in Paris.
Through the Ferrari 166 and the Alfa Romeo
6C 2500 the visitor returns to the golden era
of Italian car manufacturing. The 1948 166
begun establishing the Ferrari legend. Felice
Bianchi Anderloni, and then his son Carlo
Felice, developed the revolutionary designs
which contributed to Ferrari’s success.
The Ferrari 166 MM on display was originally owned by Gianni Agnelli (who became longtime president of Fiat in 1966) who
personally commissioned the lovely two-tone
paintjob, the teardrop rear lights and the bonnet belts. The “Avvocato” bought the car in
secret, fearing to anger the then Fiat president
Vittorio Valletta. How could someone from the
Agnelli family (the founders of Fiat) drive a car
of the competition? Fiat then acquired Ferrari
in 1988.
The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS was instead
owed by Count Carlo Felice Trossi, a nobleman, renowned pilot and designer, who commissioned new bodywork from Touring. It was
to include both Alfa’s new triangular grille,
which would soon become its emblem, and
twin headlamps, the internal pair being set
higher than usual. The nobleman used to live
in Biella and asked for the twin headlamp to