Lancia established itself as a leading car manufacturer with the revolutionary Lambda in 1922, which was the world’s first stress-bearing body car powered by a V4 engine. The Dilambda followed, which did not use a stress-bearing body but had exceptional torsional rigidity, allowing for special coachbuilt variants.
In 1931, Lancia introduced the Astura, a luxurious ‘Gran Turismo’ car powered by a narrow-angle V8 engine. The Astura was available in both short and long-chassis forms, and the Series IV had a longer wheelbase and attracted some of the finest coachwork of the period.
The featured here is the sole survivor of only three 4th-Series Asturas bodied in an aerodynamic cabriolet style by Carrozzeria Boneschi of Milan.