The Cisitalia 202 was one of the defining post-war Italian sports cars, celebrated as much for its engineering as for its styling. While the Pinin Farina-designed coupé entered the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, a small number of bespoke cabriolets and special-bodied variants were commissioned from coachbuilders including Vignale. Cars such as this illustrate the extraordinary creativity of Italy’s artisan carrozzerie during the late 1940s and early 1950s, when wealthy clients could still commission highly individual automobiles.

This 1950 Cisitalia 202B Cabriolet Lusso is presented as a Vignale-bodied Fuori Serie Special commissioned through Lombardi Koelliker, one of Italy’s most influential distributors of prestigious automobiles. According to the seller, the car formerly belonged to Sergio Lugo, widely regarded as one of the foremost Cisitalia historians and the author of several books on the marque. The car was restored in Argentina before returning to Europe, retains leather upholstery, carries Italian registration, and is accompanied by its original foreign documentation. The seller also states that it has a documented sporting history and has appeared at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, details that would further strengthen its historical significance if supported by the accompanying records.

As with any coachbuilt Cisitalia, provenance is just as important as the restoration itself. Prospective buyers should verify the documentation linking the car to Sergio Lugo, confirm the Vignale body attribution and the Lombardi Koelliker commission through period records, and review the evidence relating to its competition history and Villa d’Este participation. From the photographs, the restoration appears to have been carried out to a high standard, with a carefully detailed engine bay, well-finished interior and bodywork that presents consistently throughout. If the documented history accompanies the car as described, this is a particularly interesting example of one of Italy’s most important early post-war sports cars. Find it for sale at €375,000 (approximately $440,000 today) ⁠here in Rome, Italy.