AUTOCULT - LANCIA - LP01 ITALY 1947

The 32-year-old Gianni Lancia took on a key role in Lancia in 1947 as a descendant of the company’s founder. With this new function, he immediately wanted to realize his own car, which should be an implementation of his wishes. The sports car, christened LP01 Ghia, was powered by a 2-liter V8 engine installed in the rear. A distinctive feature was considered the design of the three front seats - the central seater steered the car. The interior seemed to have been designed for spaciousness, as the contemporary photos suggest. The car as a whole was probably designed as a comfortable, but also as very fast touring sedan. Gianni Lancia apparently wanted a very special, personal gem with the LP01 and had the car fitted with a very modern body, which came from the hands of the company ‘Carozzeria Ghia’. The unique, two-tone car body, which was built by the experts of Ghia, embodied a very racy, visually strongly inclined line and must have caused an approving nod reaction everywhere where it was presented. The large radiator grille was apparently necessary to give the V8 engine in the rear its much-needed cooling air. In addition, there was also a separate air intake scoop at the transition between the roof and the gently sloping rear. The car has not survived to this day and nothing is known about how Gianni Lancia used it.