53 bhp, 1,089 cc OHV V-4 engine, four-speed synchronised manual transmission, independent front suspension, and front disc and rear drum brakes.

Wheelbase: 2,510 mm The Appia ushered out the sport-oriented design, which originally appeared in the early 1920s on the Lancia Lambda, and its line-up debuted, ranging from sedate to simply stunning, in 1952.

Arguably the most dramatic Appia variant, the Pinin Farina-designed coupé, arrived in 1957, and it had the looks to go with Lancia’s gutsy little V-4 engine and willing suspension.

Its most distinctive feature was its roof, which was swathed in a contrasting shade and was made all the more dashing by the way its B-pillar dove aggressively down into the body just aft the front doors.

The Appia Coupé was made especially famous by its appearance in the Italian film Il Vigile (The Policeman), and it quickly became a desirable accessory amongst Europe’s most fashion-savvy in the late ’50s and early ’60s.

After watching the beautiful Sylv...