Watch racing legend Arturo Merzario drive the Touring Aero 3

One hour south of Milan is the Tazio Nuvolari Circuit, named after the great racing driver. Today though, another legend is on track: Arturo Merzario – Formula One driver and Targa Florio winner – is driving the Touring Superleggera Aero 3. We chatted to Arturo about the experience.

Arturo, in front of us we have the new Aero 3, but Carrozzeria Touring has a great history, what is your first driving memory of the brand?

The first car I ever drove was an Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS Touring in silver grey, it was my fathers. I remember learning to drive it even before the legal driving age, on the roads around our family house in Civenna, on Lake Como.

What is your lasting memory of that car and is the new Aero 3 a great homage to those memories?

I remember its lightness, agility on the narrow roads around Lake Como, and the beauty of the lines. The Aero 3 retains the typical Touring Superleggera elegance and is a great homage to speed and streamlined elegance.

How did it feel to be the first person to drive the new car?

It was a great honour that Touring Superleggera has reserved that privilege to me. The car drives beautifully, with the racing livery and no rear windows it was also a pleasure driving it on normal roads, it’s a car that you can drive from Milan to Rome with no effort in sporting luxury.

You have a big smile in the film, was it a special day?

It brought back memories of my very first drive. The honour to be first to drive it on a race circuit reserved only for me and it is such a beautiful car. A wonderful warm sunny day, the silence only broken by the sound of the glorious engine. It reminded me of the test days when driving not only Formula One cars, but the endurance racers that allowed me to be so successful.

To learn more about Touring's new Aero 3, read our recent feature story in the Classic Driver Magazine.