Celebrating the Art of Italian Coachbuilding
Celebrating the Art of Italian Coachbuilding
This particular Lancia has been built by Stabilimenti Farina on a III series long chassis Astura.
The Lancia Astura Cabriolet Farina stands as a vivid testament to the flamboyant design prowess of Giovanni Michelotti, complemented by the interior and dashboard artistry by Mario Revelli di Beaumont. In a bold move, this captivating car participated in the 1947 Villa d’Este Elegance Concours, where it defied expectations by clinching the prestigious Best in Show prize. This victory was particularly noteworthy as it triumphed over contemporary competitors, including the renowned Cisitalia 202 and other modern cars. The Lancia Astura Cabriolet Farina marked the culmination of the flamboyant style introduced in Italy in 1946 by the Stabilimenti Farina and Ghia designers. Notably, this period (1946-1949) posed significant challenges in Italy due to the aftermath of Allied bombings that had devastated numerous factories. Amidst these difficulties, coachbuilders sought to revive automotive aesthetics by crafting new bodies on existing chassis, as the design landscape struggled to evolve. The post-war era demanded ingenuity, and the Lancia Astura Cabriolet Farina emerged as a masterpiece of this transitional phase. Its flamboyant style not only garnered accolades at the Villa d’Este concours but also served as the last representative of an era marked by bold design choices. During this time, only two similar cabriolets were built, and today, only one has endured the test of time, preserving the legacy of this remarkable piece of automotive history.
Lets step back in time to the year 1947, a momentous period marked by the end of a war that left both material and moral devastation in its wake. The echoes of those challenging years are etched in the memories of those fortunate enough to have lived through them. The Mille Miglia revives, symbolizing the resilient spirit of a society yearning for recovery.
Between 1946 and 1950 Ghia, Stabilimenti Farina and Pininfarina proposed a limited series of car bodies with a low and flowing line whose most striking feature were the covered wheel arches on the front and rear, a solution that required to widen the car to allow steering. These cars had opulent shapes, built on the chassis of various brands and conceived with the primary function of showing off the main elegance competitions so widespread at the time (Ghia’s creations made a sensation at the “Jour d’Elegance” in Lausanne in 1946).
