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The Lancia Augusta Fuoriserie

At the 1934 Milan Motor Show a new chassis for the Augusta was presented. The 234 type specially conceived for coachbuilders retained the previous mechanical characteristics but with some novelties.

New was the boxed chassis which included the floorpan; new was also the grille/radiator unit which was more inclined. Other novelties were the rear arrangement of the fuel tank, the single-blade bumpers and new metal spoke wheels with Rudge Whitworth hubs, while retaining the Supercomfort Michelin 140 x 40 tyres. In addition to this chassis, on which the brand new cabriolet, of Stabiliment Farina, was based on, at the 1934 Milano Show there were also the standard 4-seater standard saloon type 231 from 1933 (it remained in production until the end of the year) and the new luxury saloon type 231 L. Unveiled was also a four-seater, characterised by the double thread at the beltline with a new bodywork. The standard transformabile was offered at a cost of 24,250 lire, against the 19,500 of the normal saloon, a difference of almost five thousand lire that persisted even in the pricing of used cars, which generally cost 60 to 75 per cent of the price of new ones.

In case of the Lancia cabriolet, and unlike the other “fuoriserie” cars, there was no great variation in weight compared to the saloon, so the performance in hill-climbing and recovery was not significantly affected. On the chassis made available to the coachbuilders worked some of the biggest coachbuilders of the time. Carrozzeria Ghia, for example, in winter of 1936 offered a four-seater saloon, a two-seat coupé spider and a two-seat cabriolet spider; in the same year also Bertone offered a berlina, which two years earlier had already presented the the ‘Super luminosa’ saloon on an Augusta chassis, which featured a patented sunroof and ‘panoramic upper windows with anti-glare curtains, rear spare wheels partially incorporated in the bodywork, ventilation with adjustable windows’.

Archivio Storico Fondazione Fiera Milano

In 1934 coachbuilder Viotti had made a saloon equipped with the sliding roof Webasto;  Touring exhibited at the Milan Motor Show a cabriolet with automatic closing. An Augusta Boneschi won the Coppa d’Onore at the International Coppa d’Oro Principessa di Piemonte competition (September 1934) and so did the Augusta bodied by Casaro and designed by Mario Revelli di Beaumont. The Casaro also won a Coppa d’Oro 1st Prize at the Villa d’Olmo Concorso, with a interior Gran Sport. But there were also one-offs by Balbo (coupé spider and others), Stabilimenti Farina (2-seater cabriolet), Pinin Farina (royal coupé) and Castagna (2-door convertible). From December 1934 the differentiation between ‘standard’ and ‘luxury’ types ceased, in favour of a single type which incorporated many of the details of the more luxurious model and remained in production for a further two years.

Lancia Augusta by Touring

14,108 units of Augusta’s were built between 1933 and 1937, divided into the two 231 and 231 Lusso versions. To this must be added 3110 examples of the flatbed chassis, the 234 type, as well as around 3,000 cars (2,500 231 saloons, 500 234 chassis) built in France, at the Bonneuil-sur-Marne plant, under the name of Belna. In fact, on the fierce French market, to which Lancia looked with great interest, the commercial penetration always remained confined to a small circle of around 2,000 enthusiasts. 

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Celebrating 115 years of Carrozzeria Garavini, the brand sees its rediscovery and relaunch in the world of cars, design and elegance.

At Garavini, craftsmanship, manufacture and uniqueness come together to create works of art on wheels that go beyond the concept of a simple means of transport to become symbols of passion and refinement.

115 years after its foundation, the company has decided to start again with the Alfa Romeo 4C, in the 10th anniversary year of the model’s presentation, in collaboration with the IAAD in Turin. This partnership between the historic brand and the design institute represents an opportunity to create a high-end sports car that combines outstanding Italian aesthetics with the best technologies.

Poltu Quatu immediately turned out to be the ideal location for the premiere of the project, thanks to the famous Concours d’Elegance which, as the perfect combination of worldliness, elegance and the joy of living the dolce vita, allows the meeting from all over the world of those enthusiasts who, more than anyone else, can appreciate the value and style of a vision such as Garavini’s.

The project takes its inspiration from the 1930s Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 by Garavini, the star of the Italian Dolce Vita and the birth of the classic car movement in Italy. The Garavini Perenne represents an extraordinary sports car that combines the Italian tradition of elegance and style with innovation and high quality craftsmanship. Garavini’s tribute to the model, the 4C, which, with its debut 10 years ago, decreed the real relaunch of Alfa Romeo, is no coincidence: symbolic value, as happens in all valuable initiatives, has a decisive weight in the conception and realisation of unique products.

The soul of the project is Luca Babbini, a young entrepreneur with experience in research and development for various industries, in particular the automotive industry. Babbini’s path, which started at IAAD and has been refined through subsequent collaborations, has always been linked to a passion for luxury, not so much as a material passion, but derived from the emotion that an object or an experience conveys.

“When I crossed Garavini’s path,” explains Luca Babbini, Garavini Design Director, “with family origins and values that can be traced back to mine, I thought it was a sign: the awareness of this affinity has allowed us to give life to a new chapter, a reality in which passion for craftsmanship, luxury and family heritage come together. The Garavini Perenne will be an opportunity to enhance the Turin area but in an international key, thanks to the freshness and desire to do that only a young team, such as that of Garavini and that of the IAAD master’s degree course in Transportation Design, can guarantee.”

On 8 July on the occasion of the Poltu Quatu Classic, a preview of the concept on which the students of the IAAD master’s course in Transportation Design are working, reasoning and declining the Garavini values of elegance and attention to detail, aimed at creating a modern classic with a first series of 15 examples, which aspires to become a timeless model, a source of inspiration for the present and the future. The lines are classic, inspired by a sporty use that smells of fresh air and speed. Driving pleasure is at the heart of the design with a set-up dedicated to usability on the road as well as on the track.

Again Luca Babbini: ‘The valorisation of young people is a key aspect of the project: it always seems, in the common narrative, that unreachable challenges and moments of continuous crisis await us, but the future is full of opportunities and style and beauty are not a closed chapter. The creation of new classics is the true ambition of a project, which looks to the future aware of its past but with the confidence that it can still make a difference. The Turin area, then, is rich in excellent craft realities with which to create synergies and develop a true pole of high craftsmanship. There is nothing to stop us from looking beyond the automotive field and broadening the declination of our values with incursions into other sectors… in short, there is a lot to build on, and the Garavini lifestyle begins today with Garavini Perenne.

The result of this partnership is a high-end compact sports car with a sculptural aesthetic design. Garavini is committed to satisfying a discerning international audience that appreciates the art of automotive design and Italian craftsmanship. The ability to excite both long-time enthusiasts and new customers is a challenge Garavini sets itself, aiming to create a fascinating and successful future for the brand.

The Garavini Perenne will be released in 2025.