1947 Lancia Aprilia Pininfarina Convertible

Built on a Type 439 chassis, this supremely elegant Cabriolet is one of ten clothed by Batista Farina RHD from new and powered by a narrow-angle V4 of 1486cc, a very advanced design, unique at the time It spent most of its life in Switzerland where it was purchased by Jean Pierre Baumgartner, a world authority on Lancias of this period Then subject to a five-year restoration (two years on the body alone) by the top Lancia experts in Europe The car remains in superb, post-restoration condition and we welcome any inspection #439-11854 is a significant motor car and probably the finest example of Pinin Farina's post-war Cabriolets Offered to the market for the first time ever. A once in a lifetime opportunity The Lancia Aprilia Berline was introduced in 1937 and was the last Lancia to have Vincenzo Lancia's input before his death. The engine was a narrow-angled V4 1300cc unit (one cylinder head) and sliding pillar front suspension was carried on from previous models. The rear suspension was by trailing arm with a transverse leaf spring mounted onto the rear differential. Brakes were hydraulic front and rear drums with the rears being inboard. The original Berline bodyshell was a monocoque construction with a pillarless, front and rear door opening. All very advanced and all of which made the car a revelation in its day. After the war, Lancia resumed production of the small car, continuing until 1949. Special designs were built on these cars by such legendary coachbuilders as Zagato, Carrozzeria Touring, Bertone and Vignale but, it is generally agreed that the most beautiful ever built is the Pinin Farina 'Speciale Cabriolet'. Carrozzeria Pinin Farina was founded in 1930 by Batista 'Pinin' Farina.having broken away from his brother's company, Stabilimenti Farina. Laterly, best known for their tie-up with Ferrari, Pinin Farina was initially helped in the early days with financial backing from Vincenzo Lancia so it's no surprise that there has always been a strong connection between the two companies. Their engagement with the Aprilia began from the model's introduction and. before the war, they built bespoke Aprilias for road and competition use, as well as two-door cabriolets and four-light and six-light Berlinas, which were offered in the factory catalogue. Remarkably, although late-war production was greatly reduced by Allied bombing, Aprilia production continued throughout the conflict. As a result, when Aprilia chassis number 439-11844 was delivered to Pinin Farina in 1946, the Carrozzeria was intimately familiar with the model and its design potential. In the pre-war and immediate post-war years, most coachbuilders designed cars with long bonnets, due to the length of the engine, however, with the compact Lancia 1482cc V4, Pinin Farina was able to build the new car with a shorter nose, enabling a more centrally positioned passenger compartment and slender, elegant rear styling. It was clothed in cabriolet coachwork and fitted with two seats plus rear jump seats. The driver and passenger face a dashboard colour-matched to the body and filled with unique Pinin Farina gauges and styling touches. It's a masterpiece in Bakelite and chrome. It is, however, the cabriolet's exterior that sets it apart - a remarkable exercise in sculpted panels and distinctive details. With the lines of the windshield pillar and side window extending into the door cuts, it is as beautiful with the top up as with it down. With its smart brightwork, radiused wheel arches, and subtle modelling, the design established Pinin Farina's post-war direction for years to come. After the end of the Second World War, car manufacturers were changing over from wartime obligations to the production of, much-needed, motor cars. Plans that had been shelved for years were dusted off and 'show cars' were produced for the 33rd Salon de l'Automobile de Paris in October 1946. Most of the cars brought to the show were utilitarian pre-war designs, however, after an eight-year hiatus, the auto show nevertheless generated significant excitement. Twice as many people attended (809,000) as had in 1938. Lines of people stretched from the main gate all the way to the Seine. Two things were missing, however, as car makers from Germany and Italy were banned from the show that year (so was Japan, but that wasn't considered to be significant). Gian Battista