Superleggera

Superleggera, also called tube-frame, is an automobile construction technology used in classic sports cars in the middle of the 20th Century. The name means "super light" in Italian, and was coined in 1937 by the Italian coachbuilder, Touring. Unlike the monocoque and body-on-frame methods widely adopted by the 1950s, superleggera cars use a network of thin metal tubes as a full-body frame. These are then covered with metal body panels, often made of exotic lightweight materials like aluminium or magnesium. This construction technique is no longer used in production cars today, but is still found in low-volume and hand-built sports models.

Notable superleggera models include:

• Most pre-1970 Ferrari
• Maserati models, including the Maserati 3500
• Alfa Romeo Most from 1937 to 1950s, including all 2900B's, and the 2600 (convertible, 4-seater)
• Aston Martin's DB4, DB5, and DB6
• Lamborghini Lamborghini 350GTV
• Lancia Lancia Flaminia Convertible
• BMW 1938 328 Touring Roadster

See also

• Monocoque
• Body-on-frame
• Spaceframe