Hidden in plain sight: Viotti’s forgotten masterpiece

• 
• 
• 
• 

“What is it?” you may well ask, as very many people do. The pillarless streamlined body and narrow herringbone grille do not quite resemble anything familiar, and yet the chassis is known to us all – it’s a Lancia Aprilia. Because standard Aprilias used unitary construction, it’s easy to forget that some were coachbuilt. From March, 1937, Lancia started to produce rolling chassis so that they could receive special coachwork, and this late 1938 model is a unique creation by Viotti. Viotti handled quite a number of Aprilias and offered five of its own catalogued bodies – two berlinas and three cabriolets – but this was a bespoke creation for the Lancia dealer Ghiara & Co of Genoa.

The fashion for streamlining was, of course, in full swing, and one of its greatest proponents was Count Mario Revelli di Beaumont, an in-demand stylist who worked for Fiat, Pinin Farina, Viotti and Bertone, among others. He had become Viotti’s chief styling consultant in 1934, and this Aprilia doubtless benefitted heavily from his influence.

We can only wonder whom its first owner might have been – obviously somebody who enjoyed the sensation of being at the cutting-edge of modernity – but its early history is unknown until it ended up in Spain, where it was discovered derelict several years ago. Now restored to its former glory after a decade of hard work, Francisco Carrión Cardenas examines every detail of this unique Aprilia in the June issue of The Automobile, on sale now.

Words by Zack Stiling
Photographs by Unai Ona

Make a comment, ask a question, give your opinion, share additional information or start a discussion by filling in the fields below.