Lancia Astura IV Coupé Pinin Farina — Galeazzo Ciano

The Lancia Astura Berlina Aerodinamica, completed in 1939, is a one-off design executed by Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in collaboration with Mario Revelli di Beaumont. Built on the fourth-series Lancia Astura chassis, the vehicle was commissioned by Galeazzo Ciano, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Italy and son-in-law to Benito Mussolini. The car is emblematic of the close relationship between political authority and the Italian design elite in the immediate pre-war period. Mechanically, the vehicle adheres to standard Astura IV specifications. It is powered by a narrow-angle V8 engine of 2,972?cc displacement, producing approximately 82 horsepower. Power is transmitted via a four-speed manual gearbox. The suspension comprises independent sliding-pillar front units and a live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs. Both engine and suspension were adjustable, in keeping with the technical equipment of the Astura series. The body, designed by Revelli and constructed by Pinin Farina, is marked “Pinin Farina speciale” on the flanks. The styling reflects Revelli’s flamboyant design vocabulary, characterized by aerodynamic lines and advanced proportions developed without the aid of wind tunnel testing. The car features minimized running boards, integrated front fender headlamps—a feature evolving from Revelli’s work on the Fiat 1500B (1935) and earlier Astura convertibles—as well as louvered bonnet intakes reminiscent of Castagna-bodied Lancia Aprilia models. Interior appointments include a veneered rootwood dashboard and a period radio with bakelite knobs. Reportedly, the vehicle was seized during the Second World War and transported to England, where it remained hidden in Brighton for over a decade. It resurfaced in the 1950s and was later acquired by musician Eric Clapton, eventually returning to Italy in the 1980s. This example is the only one constructed in this configuration. It is significant not only for its technical basis and provenance but also as a documented collaboration between Revelli and Pinin Farina. The Berlina Aerodinamica remains a rare and historically important specimen of pre-war Italian automotive design, situated at the convergence of engineering, politics, and aesthetic innovation.