1938 Lancia Astura 4a serie Cabriolet

The Lancia Astura was a car produced by the Turin-based company from 1931 to 1939. In the early 1930s, Lancia's latest model was the large Dilambda (released in 1929), while the Lambda, which had been in production for nearly a decade, was due for replacement. The Dilambda featured a V8 engine with a 4-liter displacement, whereas the Lambda, which originally had a 2.1-liter engine, reached over 2.5 liters in its final series. Although the Dilambda maintained its prominent position, Lancia decided to replace the Lambda with two new models aimed at different customers: the Artena, a 4-cylinder car with less than 2 liters of displacement, and the Astura, with a 2.6-liter V8 engine. The two new models were largely differentiated by their engines, but they also had different wheelbases: the Artena had a wheelbase of 299 cm, while the Astura had a 19 cm longer wheelbase to accommodate the larger V8 engine. Unlike previous Lancia models, the Astura took its name from a historic castle near the Roman city of Nettuno. Its V8 engine, with a 19° angle between the banks, was a simplified and downsized version of the Dilambda engine, featuring a displacement of 2606 cc and producing 72 hp at 4000 rpm. In addition to the cast iron engine block, triple chain-driven distribution, and self-cleaning oil filter, the most notable feature of the engine was its unique two-piece cylinder head: the lower part (in cast iron) housed the valves, while the upper part (in aluminum) contained the rocker arms and their shaft, with the central camshaft rotating between the two heads. The water-based cooling system was borrowed from the Artena and included a thermostat-controlled throttling system. The Astura also shared the centralized lubrication system with the Artena. Moving away from the unitary body construction of the Lambda, both the Astura and Artena used a frame composed of two vertical boxed sections, reinforced by an X-shaped brace, with side members that slightly converged at the front. Two longitudinal round tubes branched from a cross brace and were integrated into the ends of the side members. The suspension system was a mixed setup: at the front, Lancia’s classic design was used (though without the diagonal braces that in the Lambda had connected the radiator frame to the suspension cylinders, now unnecessary thanks to improved rigidity), while the rear had a conventional live axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and Siata friction shock absorbers. Powered by a Zenith double-barrel carburetor, the Astura delivered excellent performance thanks to its favorable weight-to-power ratio, with the chassis weighing just under a ton (960 kg). Even the sedan version weighed only 1,250 kilograms, allowing for a top speed of around 125 km/h. While Lancia produced a sedan version (available with 4 windows and 4-5 seats, or 6 windows and 6-7 seats), the Astura became the queen of custom-built cars of its time. Nearly all Italian coachbuilders, as well as many international ones, created special editions. Notable names include Bertone, Boneschi, Borsani, Brianza, Castagna, Colli, Garavini, Ghia, Stabilimenti Farina, Touring, and Viotti, as well as international coachbuilders such as Weinberger & Buhne, John Charles, Abbott, and Kevill Davies & March. For example, a cabriolet version by Pininfarina presented in the 1936 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegancewon again in 2016, many years later. Another cabriolet version by Stabilimenti Farina won the Concours d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in 1947, although it did not reach mass production. First introduced at the Paris Motor Show in October 1931, the Astura underwent minor revisions after about a year (second series). In 1933, with the third series, more significant changes were made: the chassis was offered in two different wheelbase lengths, engine displacement increased (from 2.6 to 3 liters), power improved by about 10 HP, and the braking system received updates. Further significant changes to the chassis were introduced in 1937 with the fourth series, which effectively replaced the discontinued Dilambda. The chassis of this series was often used for official government vehicles, mostly designed by Boneschi and Pininfarina, sometimes with monumental proportions. The engine of the final series of the Astura also served as the basis for the Lince armored car, sometimes referred to as the Astura armored car. A total of 2,912 Astura units were built.

The Lancia Astura chassis no. 41-3062 is a two-door convertible with a Boneschi body. The factory records precisely indicate the assembly dates of the various parts, and the car was completed on April 30, 1938. A total of 423 Astura 4a Serie have been built from 1937 to 1939; 284 only in 1938. Chassis no. 41-3062 was delivered to the Minetti agency, one of the largest Lancia agencies and certainly the main one for Boneschi bodyworks, which had its customer base primarily in Lombardy and the northeast. The car is one of the 82 Astura, and one of the 41 Astura “Tipo 41” produced that were bodied by Boneschi, and is one of the just 10 convertibles (considering all variables, even "Ministerial" cars). But, in the end, chassis no. 41-3062 is very likely a one-off. The soft top had an extraordinary feature for 1938: it moved thanks to an electric mechanism. The car had another peculiarity for this model: it was used primarily as a private car and not for public functions, such as parades. It was registered in Milan (MI 69044) only a year later, on May 3, 1939. Minetti delivered the vehicle on May 4, 1939, to its first owner, Italo Lattuada. He, a wealthy man, had the car customized: being very short, unlike his much taller wife, the seats were aligned so that they were both at the same height. Lattuada kept it through the difficult years of the war, and, in April 1950, he sold it to… himself, by registering the car to his own “Società Italiana Noleggio Tassametri”. This company managed the rental of taximeters for public cars throughout Italy, thus proving to be a profitable source of income for Lattuada. The car was in his possession for his whole life, and sold only after his passing, by his widow. Chassis no. 41-3062 was purchased at the end of 1974 by the well-known collector Edoardo Tenconi, who rented it the following year, along with three other vehicles, for the filming of Pierpaolo Pasolini's movie Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma, although the car was mostly used as transportation. After filming, the Astura temporarily remained near Bologna and narrowly escaped destruction on April 15, 1978, during the catastrophic train accident in Murazze di Vado, being only a few dozen meters away from the derailed trains. In the meantime, the car received its first ASI certification and was subsequently listed in the Registro Storico Lancia. In the 1990s, parts of the vehicle, which were under restoration, were stored in a warehouse that caught fire; the rear seats and other parts were partially damaged. In 2023, the car became part of a private collection. Today, the car's heritage includes a considerable amount of all kind of papers that document its history in all its stages. Exceptional condition for a pre-war car, the car has: original plates and booklet; invoices for all work carried out; letters, including an endorsement to proceed from Gianni Lancia himself. Now in a private collection, the car is undergoing a thorough restoration.