Audemars Touring Automotive
The finest Automobiles
The finest Automobiles
History...
>Audemars Touring was founded in 1961 by Carlo Audemars, an ambitious young coachbuilder who wanted to make cars a from of art. Carlo started the company in April 1962 with the name of Audemars Touring Sport Automobiles. The company was situated then in a tiny workshop, in the center of Catello di Franco a beautiful village just outside the city of San Venice. The beautiful Monte Marean riviera is the perfect area for creating automotive art as Carlo used to call his creations. There were a lot of automobile companies in that time as there was a big economic growth in Monte Mare, but Carlo didnt want to create simple cars which would be driven by the middle class he wanted to make the finest automobiles in tiny scales for the fortunate people who could afford it.
After some months he hired 40 people and started working on a very iconic car which was copied by a lot of companies and would become a classic, the Superleggera TZ1.
The Superleggera TZ1 when presented was one of the most beautiful cars made and it surely got some attention as King Giorgio III ordered a red one in 1963. The Superleggera TZ1 was presented in the 1962 San Venice Concours D'elegance one of the great events where the elite of Monte Mare used to go and show off their wealth. The TZ1 became iconic not only because the King had purchased one, but because the top actor of the time Steve Queen, a great petrolhead, used the TZ1 in races all around the country. Only 23 TZ1s were made and there are only 15 known examples today.
But the history of the Superleggera TZ1 doesnt stop there. In 1965 a widely known Arab multimillionaire, a petroleum mogul, ordered a very special TZ1. He already had a standard TZ1 but he also wanted a convertible version. The company hadnt planned to produce a convertible version so he ordered one.
The Superleggera TZ1 Convertible was a one-off, as the buyer paid a lot of money to keep it unique and exclusive. Before its delivery to the customer, the car was shown in various shows. It was declared the most beautiful car in the Monte Mare Concours D'elegance, a very important title for a small company. The convertible was re-bought by the company some years ago, and its worth today is estimated to be more than 4 million euros.
In 1968 Audemars Touring presented the Superleggera TZ2 again in the San Venice Concours D'elegance. The TZ2 had a lot of styling cues borriwed from the TZ1 and it soon became the one of the finest automobiles of the time.
The Superleggera TZ2 was more track focused that the TZ1 and so its aerodynamics were more effective and active. The V8 superlight engine was one of the best that time and it could give the car some incredible performance. The TZ2 was for some time the fastest car in the world. A slightly tuned version of the the car took part in the 24 hours of the Riviera in 1969. Carlo himself drove the car. The TZ2 Corsa as it was called finished 1st giving the car a great reputation in the motor community as it was considered a very difficult event. Only 54 TZ2 and 10 TZ2 Corsa units were made.
In April 1991 the TZS was presented in the San Venice Concours D'elegance as all great models were presented there. The TZS was an evolution if the TZ1 and TZ2 and it had the same possitive reactions as those. It was elected for the 3rd time the most beautiful car of the show, giving Audemars Touring TZ saga a new record.
The TZS had for the first time a quite luxurious profile, consodering the spartan beauty of the previous models. The TZS wore as tradition demanded a superlight V8 engine which produced 390bhp and had a top speed of 295km/h. The car was shown in auto shows all around Monte Mare and soon a pretty big customer list considering it's price. Only 85 units were made, and you can purchase one today for a million euros are there are some for sale.
In March 2011 the Superleggera TZ3 was unveiled in the 2011 Can Venice Concours D'elegance.
You can learn all of the details in the car's description bellow. The TZ3 will be made in limited amounts every year as it is handmade from scratch. A convertible version is cyrrently developed. Purchase your own Superleggera TZ3 by forming the application in the car's description.
Present, future & Customer service...
>The company today is run by Jean Audemars, who is the CEO and at the same time the PR & Management director. There are 70 people currently working in the small workshop in the village of Castello di Franco. There are various departments in the factory the biggest one is the engine department where 15 people work to make the incredible and famous V8 superlight engines.
The present of the company is quite possitive as the company has a basic wealthy clientele formed by true car entusiasts who will follow the company's products. The company was always focusing on car enthusiasts, and it is formed by most of its clients today.
The future of Audemars Touring Automotive isnt assured of course but with the right management and investments the company will stay in the family and keep its luxury profilem because that is the purpose always make handmade automotive art, as Carlo Audemars used to say. The model line up will always be limited and small and we are currently in the final design stage of the Superleggere Stradale the evolution of the TZ3. The stradale will be unveiled in a few months but the presentation hasnt been decided yet.
Customers are the most important element in the company's structure. All of our cars are made upon request so with no customers no cars would be made. The customers can customize everything on their car, as each and every vehicle we make is unique.
Design Studio & Services...
>Audemars Touring Automotive it is not only an exclusive car manufactor but inside the factory there is also a design studio which can also design cars for other companies upon request. The chief designer of the studio is Franco Castello and there are 3 more designers working there. The Audemars Touring Design studio has been active the last 8 years and it had designed more than 10 cars for other companies all around the world. The studio's design services offer design in stage level 1 and 2. Stage 1 is sketching and renderings of the car and Stage 2 is the making of a 1/8 scale model with clay. The other stages such as the engine is made by the company requesting it. The design team will be in touch with the company as the making process start and evolves. If your company needs a car with beauty, style and passion the Audemars Touring Design team will gladly help. Unfortunately the status of the team wont let design any kind of car, but you should specify what you want. So if a company needs something new they should contact the team and specify what they want, then the design team will decide wether carry on or not with the project.
Workshop, location & Chateau...
>The workshop is located into the grounds of a 17th chateau which was bought and restored in 1970 by Carlo Audemars, and it became the small factory of the company. The workshop is actually behind the chateau, and it is a very modern glass factory just the right size for creating our cars. Inside the chateau you will find offices, a customer area, a great dining room/ ballroom, meeting room and the design studio. There are 2 suites in the factory for guesting our customers, who want to get involved into the building of their own car. The workshop is very modern as mentioned and it is perfectly comfortable for the 70 people working in it. There are various sections: the assembly section, the engine & chassis section, the interior & materials section and the body design section. The factory has a lot of important machinery such as the high pressure carbon fiber ovens which are used to make carbon fiber parts. The company has 2 of them and when they are not used by our company they are used to make carbon fiber parts for other companies. There is also a highly-secured warehouse where a lot of historic cars are kept such as a one-off TZ1 roasdter made for an Arab gas mogul who died 10 years ago as mentioned in the history section of the storefront. The worth of the TZ1 roaster could be more than 4.000.000 euros today as it is in a perfect state. More unique cars are in there such as a 4 door version of the TZ2 which was also made for a very wealthy customer who wanted to carry his children with him. A superleggera TZ2 Stradale is also kept in the warehouse, only 3 Stradales were made and it was a more track focused version of the TZ2. The TZ2 Stradale has an estimated worth of 6 million euros. The cars are shown every 2 or 3 years in exclusive events all around Monte Mare.
