Lancia Aprilia Sport – built for the future from the past

To celebrate the centenary of Lancia and the long standing affiliation between the marque and the Milanese coachbuilder for its Sport versions, Andrea Zagato decided to create a Lancia Aprilia Sport identical to the car built by his grandfather Ugo in 1938. This “car of the future” could aptly be described as an original 1930s design brought to life using the technology of the third Millennium. The complicated process did not start from hand drawn sketches, as with today's cars, but from two faded monochrome photographs – the only remaining source of accurate information.

As the original car no longer exists, state of the art digitalisation, CAD modelling and CNC machining technologies were used to reconstruct the plans for this version of the Aprilia Sport, which most effectively expressed the aeronautical themes of the 1930s.

The sheet metal of the bodywork was then skilfully hand crafted by master panel beaters, working on a solid, machined buck.

The final result is a symphony of perfectly taut lines and seamless highlights, impeccably resolving the limitations of prewar construction techniques in putting a concept into reality.

Shaped like the cross section of a wing, in a single volume undisturbed by external fenders, this car is a milestone in the almost 90 years of history of Zagato.