Lancia Artena Ministeriale Pininfarina

The Lancia Artena Ministeriale by Carrozzeria Pininfarina was a formal, state-commissioned variant of the Artena series, developed during the final years of the model’s production. Based on the fourth series Artena chassis, the Ministeriale configuration was designed for government and military service, including transport of senior officials. The model was constructed between 1939 and 1942, prior to the full conversion of Italian industry to wartime production. The Artena fourth series, designated Tipo 341, employed a lengthened chassis measuring 3,180 millimetres in wheelbase. The engine was a 1,926 cubic centimetre V4 unit, designated Tipo 84A, with overhead valves and a single carburettor. Output was rated at 51 horsepower at 3,800 revolutions per minute. Power was transmitted to the rear axle through a four-speed manual gearbox. The suspension system consisted of independent front wishbones with torsion bars and a live rear axle mounted on semi-elliptical leaf springs. Braking was provided by hydraulic drums at all four wheels. The bodywork constructed by Pininfarina was configured as a formal six-window saloon, known as a Berlina Ministeriale. The design featured a tall, upright profile, separate luggage compartment, flat windshield, and sliding partition glass separating the driver from the passenger compartment. The interior was designed to accommodate four to six occupants in a dignified setting, with fixed seating and minimal trim. The external appearance was understated, consistent with the vehicle’s official function. Production of the Artena Tipo 341 Ministeriale chassis totaled 316 units. An additional 191 chassis of similar specification were constructed for ambulance bodies, designated Tipo 441. The precise number of bodies completed by Pininfarina on the Ministeriale chassis is undocumented, but available evidence suggests a figure below 50 units. Chassis numbering ranged from 341-1001 to 341-1316. Individual ownership and deployment records are not preserved in public archives. The Lancia Artena Ministeriale Pininfarina represents an example of state-directed coachbuilding during the late interwar period in Italy. It reflects the practice of combining series mechanical production with limited bespoke bodywork for official use. Surviving examples, where extant, are rare and generally associated with governmental service in the pre-war and immediate post-war period.