Everything we know about Touring’s upcoming Berlinetta Aero project—plus its official name
Late last week, Italian coachbuilder Touring confirmed that its Berlinetta Aero project would be officially called the Aero3. The first visual teasers of this voluptuous beauty came by way of the company’s Instagram account, but a bit of digging shows that this project might have been in the works since February of this year. More on that in a moment.
If this silhouette above looks vaguely like that of the 2013 Alfa Romeo 8C-based Disco Volante, you’re not taking crazy pills (and you have an excellent memory): Touring also designed that beauty. According to Touring, the Aero3 name is inspired by the importance of the aerodynamic coachwork on many of its cars in the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s.
Specifically, the Aero3 will draw from the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Speciale Tipo Le Mans, a race car built by Touring for competition in the 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans. That means we can expect a long, swooping hood preceding a short cabin tucked over the rear axle. You can bet your prosciutto-wrapped steering wheel it will be gorgeous.
Touring is looking to cash in on an impressive coachbuilding legacy, one that includes the Aston Martin DB4, DB5, and DB6, as well as the aforementioned Alfa Romeo 8C-based Disco Volante. Aside from tasty exterior metal work, the firm also invented a construction technology designed to minimize weight: a structural framework of small-diameter metal tubes overlaid with slender alloy panels. Touring’s Superleggera technology was patented in 1936.
So how long has the Aero3 project been simmering?
Back in late February, Touring posted the photo below on its Instagram. Astute eyes will recognize that front end as none other than the 8C 2900 B Speciale Tipo Le Mans mentioned above. The caption hints at an icon being reborn—most likely, the Aero3 that we’re discussing here. If that’s the case, we should have seen the Aero3 at the 2020 Goodwood of Speed in early July; but that event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to wreak havoc on car-based gatherings around the world.
According to Touring’s website, the Aero3 is currently entering its final stage of construction and is set to be completed in early fall, after which it will embark upon a world tour.
There’s no word yet on specifics like pricing or production numbers. We expect this car to sport the Alfa crest on its hood, but it’s a safe bet that Touring’s latest project will be an exclusive commodity by the time the whole project is done and dusted.
Between this and Zagato’s new IsoRivolta GTZ, it’s a good day to be a fan of legendary Italian coachbuilders.
