Description
This car is Lot 147 to be auctioned by Bonhams|Cars at Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Sale on 6 February, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Public Viewing:
Available Tuesday 4 February from 08:00 until 18:00 and Wednesday 5 February from 9 AM - 6 PM, at The Grand Palais Historique, Paris.
Lot 147
One of 167 covered headlight examples
1959 Lancia Appia Series III GTE Berlinetta
Registration no.
Chassis no. 2757
Lightweight aerodynamic aluminium Zagato coachwork
One of the most desirable Appia variants
Present ownership since 2019
Italian registration document
Lancia's new small saloon, the Appia, arrived in 1953. The company's tradition of innovation was exemplified by the Appia's ultra-compact engine: a narrow-angle 1, 089cc V4 whose inclined overhead valves were set in hemispherical combustion chambers and operated by twin, block-mounted camshafts.
Complementing the saloon was a series of limited edition models on a separate chassis bodied by leading carrozzeria: Pinin Farina being responsible for the coupé, Vignale the cabriolet, and Zagato the GTE coupé. Power was eventually increased to 60bhp for these more sporting Appias which, when equipped with Zagato's lightweight, aerodynamic coachwork, could touch 160km/ h. Three different series of GTEs were made, including 167 cars with covered headlights and 144 with recessed open headlamps.
Zagato's GTE coupé is one of the rarest and most desirable of Appia variants and typical of their work of the period. This example was purchased by our vendor in 2019 (invoice available) and comes with Italian registration documents and an instruction manual.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams|Cars website for all pertinent auction information.
