“Superleggera” is a term coined in the 1930s by the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring. Simply put, it means “super light.” More importantly, it was and is Touring’s design philosophy of lightweight body panels like aluminum fitted over a tube-frame chassis.
You’ll find the Superleggera script on everything from Alfa Romeo’s prewar 8C 2900 MM to postwar classics like the Aston Martin DB4 and DB5 (of which this photo was taken) and Lamborghini 350 GT.
Coachbuilt, handbuilt cars like those from Touring are a thing of the past. There isn’t much efficiency in beating raw materials over wooden bucks to form sensuous body panels. Sad.
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