Italian coachbuilders of the last century could be distinguished because each of them had its own imprinting: certainly, Pininfarina was the one who favored the balance of lines and proportions.

An example of how Pininfarina’s style is expressed on a car is this beautiful convertible built on the base of a 1947 Lancia Aprilia, for which slate gray was chosen for the exterior and a stunning brick red for the interior. Lancia historian Marco Giusti notes that the design bears the direct influence of lead Pinin Farina stylist Fedele Bianco, who clearly used this opportunity to improve upon his previous 2+2 cabriolet treatment which claimed top honors at the 1947 Monte Carlo and Cannes concours d’elegance. Aptly termed the “Speciale,” this prototype was clothed in a one-off aluminum body featuring sloping sides, open wheels, swept-back windshield, and a low profile.

Pininfarina then proposed to Lancia to put it into series production, but Lancia refused as the public selling price would have been too high (even for a Lancia!). Therefore, this remained a unique specimen that, fortunately, has survived to the present day. Paraphrasing one of our favorite movies, we could say that this car was “A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.” Find it for sale at €275,000 (today $298,000) here in Druten, Netherlands. Thanks to Kyle for this tip!