Grand Touring

Grand touring /grand too-ring/ noun (uncountable)

Grand touring is a form of high-speed, long-distance motoring in a car that combines performance with luxury and comfort, and a "grand tourer" or "GT" is a car designed for this purpose. This is the romantic ideal of crossing a continent at immense speed and in sublime comfort, arriving at a hotel in Monte Carlo in time for cocktails with your luggage intact and your suit uncreased. A proper grand tourer is not a raw, uncompromising sports car; it is a motorised rapier, not a broadsword. It must have a powerful engine to devour autobahns, a comfortable ride to soothe over rough surfaces, and enough space for two people and their weekend bags. For British manufacturers like Aston Martin and Jensen, the GT became a specialty.

The Full Story of Grand Touring

The concept is rooted in the 18th-century "Grand Tour", a traditional trip across Europe undertaken by wealthy young aristocrats. When the motor car arrived, it became the perfect modern vessel for such a journey. The philosophy of the Grand Tourer, or GT, was arguably perfected in post-war Italy by the likes of Ferrari and Maserati, but it was interpreted with a unique flavour in Britain.

The definitive British GT was, and remains, the Aston Martin. The "DB" series of cars, from the DB2 of the 1950s to the legendary DB5, became the global archetype. They were beautiful, powerful, and exquisitely finished inside with the finest leather and wood. They were cars for the discerning gentleman, fast enough to be thrilling but comfortable enough to be driven for hundreds of miles in a single day without complaint. Their association with a certain fictional secret agent only cemented their image as the ultimate in suave, high-speed travel.

Jaguar offered a more attainable but no less brilliant take on the GT. The XK series and later the magnificent E-Type, particularly in its fixed-head coupe form, offered staggering performance and style for a fraction of the cost of an Aston. For many, the E-Type was the perfect GT. Another very British interpretation was the Jensen Interceptor, a muscular, handsome car that combined Italian styling and British craftsmanship with a colossal, reliable American Chrysler V8. It was an effortlessly fast continent-crosser.

The essential ingredients of a GT are a delicate balance. The engine must be powerful, but with a deep well of torque for lazy, high-speed cruising, rather than the frantic, high-revving nature of a pure racing engine. The suspension must be compliant enough to absorb bumps, prioritising stability over the last tenth of a second of track performance. And crucially, it must be practical, with a usable boot and, often, a "2+2" seating arrangement, with two small rear seats perfect for a briefcase or a small child you are not particularly fond of.

Today, while modern supercars have become surprisingly comfortable and luxury saloons have become absurdly fast, the dedicated GT still exists as the ultimate expression of sophisticated, long-distance travel, a role still defined by British icons like the Bentley Continental GT and the Aston Martins.

For The Record

What is the difference between a grand tourer and a sports car?

A sports car prioritises light weight and handling agility above all else, often at the expense of comfort and practicality. A grand tourer is a compromise; it sacrifices some of the sports car's raw edge for more comfort, luxury, and luggage space, making it far better suited for long journeys.

What does "GT" stand for?

Gran Turismo in Italian, which translates to Grand Touring in English. The name directly evokes the tradition of the European Grand Tour.

Was the Jaguar E-Type a sports car or a GT?

It brilliantly managed to be both. The early open-topped roadsters were pure, raw sports cars. The longer-wheelbase 2+2 fixed-head coupes, however, were perfect grand tourers, with more space and a smoother ride better suited for long-distance travel. It's one of the few cars to master both disciplines.

What is a "2+2" seating layout?

It means two full-size seats in the front and two much smaller, occasional seats in the back. These rear seats are generally unsuitable for adults on a long journey but are useful for short trips, very small children, or, more realistically, as an upholstered overflow luggage area.

Why did British GTs often use American V8 engines?

Cars like the Jensen Interceptor and Bristol 411 used large American V8s because they were relatively cheap, incredibly reliable, and produced huge amounts of effortless torque. This lazy, unstressed power was perfect for a high-speed grand tourer, even if it lacked the sophisticated, high-revving character of a European V12.