Lancia Aprilia Leggerissima Gran Sport

Vehicle Overview

The Lancia Aprilia Leggerissima Gran Sport, bodied by Carrozzeria Boneschi, is a fascinating piece of pre-war automotive history. Commissioned in 1939 by Eugenio Minetti, a Lancia dealer in Milan, this special model was one of several Aprilia-based sport cars created to showcase the technical prowess and avant-garde design of Lancia. Among these unique cars, one was destined for Umberto Castiglioni, a prominent figure in Italian motorsport and automobile culture. The car created for Umberto Castiglioni stood out for its exceptionally short wheelbase, which gave it a compact, agile stance perfect for sporty performance. The already advanced Lancia Aprilia, which had been introduced in 1937 with its innovative monocoque construction and independent suspension, was taken to another level with performance modifications made by Volpini e Tinarelli, two Italian tuners known for their work with racing engines. These enhancements turned the Aprilia into a serious sports car, optimized for speed and handling while maintaining Lancia’s renowned engineering precision. The Carrozzeria Boneschi bodywork on this Aprilia Leggerissima Gran Sport was an artistic and technical masterpiece. Known for pushing the boundaries of automotive design, Boneschi gave the car a lightweight, streamlined body, emphasizing aerodynamics and the performance-focused character of the vehicle. However, this original Boneschi design would not remain on the car for long. In 1947, after World War II, the car underwent significant changes and was rebodied by Tenconi, another Italian coachbuilder. This rebodied version reflected the post-war era’s evolving tastes and technologies, marking a new chapter in the car’s life. Despite this transformation, the car retained its unique performance attributes, thanks to its short wheelbase and the tuning by Volpini e Tinarelli. Today, the Lancia Aprilia Leggerissima Gran Sport by Carrozzeria Bonesschi commissioned by Minetti remains a rare and significant example of Italian automotive innovation from both the pre- and post-war periods.