1960 Lancia Appia by Vignale

This vehicle was auctioned by Bonhams in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA on 31.5.15. At that time, Bonhams auction notes were as follows.

“Offered here is a lovely little Appia Series 2 Cabriolet from the 1960 model year. The convertible body was drawn up in 1957 by the prolific Giovanni Michelotti, who was employed at Carrozeria Vignale in Turin before opening his own independent studio. Vignale produced about 1600 examples of this elegant little 2+2 soft-top on the longer wheelbase chassis.

This car features the 53hp engine, a fully-synchronized four-speed manual transmission driving the rear axle, front and rear drum brakes, and the final iteration of Lancia's famous sliding-pillar front suspension. A set of chromed wire wheels is a brilliant contrast to the sparkling white finish and individually-adjustable mid tan hide seats. There are wind-up windows, a tachometer, and a fully-carpeted trunk.

This Vignale Cabriolet remained in the hands of the original owner's Italian family for more than 50 years, before it was sold in 2012 to its second owner, Antonio Jose Das Neves Ferreira of Lisbon, Portugal.

That gentleman had the car properly restored by specialists Auto Avenida, and then offered it for sale at a Paris auction in 2014. The Canadian buyer described it at the time as a delightful driving machine, capable of cruising at 80 mph, and fun and easy to drive.

It shows some signs of use, with a few minor stone chips, but otherwise the paint and trim appear in good order. The odometer currently reads 14,692, but that is not likely to be the correct total.

Vignale Appia cabriolets are rarely seen today, and this delightful little car is sure to bring a smile to its next owner's face.”

We can’t argue with any of that.

But we would certainly add that the current owner, a specialist classic car restorer who is very well known to us, has spent over £15,300 since 2019 on further restoring and improving this vehicle.

He has worked on the parts of the car that needed it (which necessitated, among other things, a bare metal respray for the bonnet and boot), and left those that didn’t as they were.

What we have with us here today is an exquisite, rare, and properly (and expensively) restored car.

We have driven it and can attest that it starts, goes and stops precisely as you would hope and that it has all the balance and poise you’d expect of a classic Lancia sports car.

The lively little engine pulls strongly across all four gears and the gear change is tight and notchy. The steering, while weighty, isn’t heavy and the car goes where you point it without complaint or uncertainty.

If you ever fancied bringing out your inner Gina Lollobrigida or Marcello Mastroianni and embodying the style and spirit of La Dolce Vita every time you nip out for a pint of milk, then this is, undoubtedly, the car for you.

Ciao.

White somehow seems the right colour for this beautiful cabriolet with its clean, simple lines, purity of form and a profile undisturbed by any vulgar adornment or excess.

It is a very handsome car, from every angle, and we can vouch for the fact that it turns heads when out on la passeggiata in the country lanes of Oxfordshire.

The badging, trim, lights and lenses are all correct and good.

The paintwork is pretty much devoid of any nicks, scuffs, scrapes or other blemishes.

The shut lines and door gaps are pretty good, although the n/s corner of the boot lid (nearest the cabin) seems slightly proud of its surrounding bodywork.

The car came to the vendor with wire wheels and, although his initial impulse was to change these non-original items he decided (we think wisely) to keep them because they look so good.

The panels are straight, true and free of any significant dinks, dents, folds, creases, scuffs or dimples that we can see.

The new, black mohair hood is in top condition, fits snugly, and goes up and down with a minimum of aggravation.

The interior is a wonderfully warm and welcoming combination of buttery soft brown leather and thick beige carpeting.

It’s a great place to spend some quality time, whether you’re driving, being driven, or just posing.

The door cards and new carpets are in excellent condition.

Ditto the headlining on the hood.

The soft leather seats are supportive, comfortable and free from all but the lightest of creasing. The ‘+2’ seats at the rear look untroubled by time, use or human posteriors.

The dashboard, instruments, fixtures and fittings are in good condition and, where they have any ‘flaws’ (there are a few chips to the paint around the original Blaupunkt radio and one or two scratches on the steering wheel) they’re really only adding to the authentic patina and charm of the interior.

All of the knobs, dials, levers, toggles and switches seem to do what’s asked of them without petulance or contrariness.

The fully carpeted boot is in fine fettle.

Lifting up the carpets here or elsewhere on this car reveals absolutely nothing to worry about whatsoever as far as we can see.

There are a few scuffs to the paintwork below the metal kick plates and inside the door hinges.

As you might expect of a car that’s been thoroughly restored to a high professional standard, the undersides are extremely well preserved, with all structural and mechanical parts apparently in possession of a great deal of engineering integrity.

We’ve seen nothing more than the standard bloom of superficial rust dust on one or two components.

The engine bay is clean, dry and everything appears to be in its designated place.

The car comes with receipts, bills and invoices covering the time and money the vendor has spent on this car. This includes renting (from France) the specialist tools required for working on the Lancia’s suspension.

The car is currently on trade plates and is not yet registered. It does not have an MoT certificate.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

Frankly, if you don’t like the look of this car then we really have to question your sense of style.

It oozes pure 1960’s Italian class from every pore on its fabulous body.

And the beauty isn’t just skin deep.

This is a properly restored, sorted, fettled and tweaked example of a rare model from one of the greatest marques.

It looks beautiful and it drives as well as it looks.

What’s not to like?

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £25,000 - £35,000.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.