The Aprilia was a pivotal model for Lancia, and the last to be completed before Vincenzo Lancia’s death in 1937.

Entering production that year, the factory berlina had an advanced unit body, four-wheel independent suspension, and a remarkably compact narrow-angle V-4.

The 1939 Series II saw the engine enlarged from 1,352 to 1,486 cubic centimeters, with the emphasis on increased torque and smoothness.

As was Lancia’s practice, the factory offered the platform to coachbuilders, and Pinin Farina’s engagement with the Aprilia began from the model’s introduction.

Pinin Farina built bespoke Aprilias for road and competition use before the war, as well as two-door cabriolets and various berlinas offered in the factory catalogue.

Remarkably, although late-war production was greatly reduced by Allied bombing, Aprilia production continued throughout the conflict.

As a result, when chassis 11854 was delivered to Pinin Farina in 1946, the carrozzeria was intimately familiar with the model’s...