Page 19 - Nash-Healey A Grand Alliance by John Nikas

(TOP LEFT) Drawing inspiration from Paul Jaray’s Auto Union Type C, Pinin Farina’s Lancia Aprilia Aerodinamica embodies the Italian designer’s interpretation of contemporary “forms of speed” that were sweeping across Europe in the late 1930s. (Pininfarina SpA)
(ABOVE) One of the most iconic sports cars ever built, Alfa Romeo’s 8C 2900 proved successful on both road and track, becoming the first monoposto design on the Grand Prix circuit. Although Carrozzeria Touring supplied the bodies for most examples, Pinin Farina provided the coachwork for several vehicles, including this handsome racecar from 1937. (Pininfarina SpA)
(TOP RIGHT) For their participation in the war effort against the Allied cause during the Second World War, the organizers of the 1946 Paris Motor Show prevented coachbuilders located in the former Axis nations from exhibit- ing their vehicles at the Grand Palais. Eager to show the world his designs for the Lancia Aprilia cabriolet and the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Speziale, Farina parked the pair across the street, but was asked to leave. Undeterred, he held
a press conference and returned the next day, this time positioning the cars
at the main steps. The arrival of the gendarmerie succeeded in forcing their removal, but not before the world press dubbed the stunt the ‘anti-salon,’ garnering significant publicity for the Italian designer. (Pininfarina SpA)
(RIGHT) Built for perfume designer Giuliana Tortoli di Cuccioli, Farina’s Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 featured streamlined aluminum envelope coachwork, minimal brightwork and elegant proportions, stealing the show from the vehicles displayed inside the Grand Palais. (Carrozzieri Italiani Collection)
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and Lancia Aprilia cabriolet outside the entrance to the Grand Palais, both more modern than the vehicles exhibited inside. The press dubbed his stunt an “anti-salon,” requiring intervention from the gendarmerie to remove the offending vehicles from sight, but their appearance re- established Farina as a force to reckon with in the automotive world.
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