Lancia Astura Carrozzeria Colli 1937

Although it was created to be the Lancia luxurious flagship car, the Astura was often raced by private drivers. With the introduction of the above mentioned Sport Nazionale category, Lurani and Minetti’s Scuderia Ambrosiana, behind which there was probably Lancia itself, prepared an Astura in compliance with the dictates of the AlACR’s attachment C. The car shown in the Museum Nicolis was prepared in 1939 by Carrozzeria Colli, by order of the Milanese Scuderia Ambrosiana, for one of the Scuderia top drivers: Luigi Villoresi.  Ended its race career, the car was used for much less noble actions: the smuggling of precious watches from Switzerland to Italy. Seized by the Swiss police, for many years the Astura remained forgotten in a warehouse, where it was rediscovered by Luciano Nicolis who brought it to Italy and had it restored in order to proudly use it at the most prestigious classic car events.

The Carrozzeria Colli was an Italian body construction company that made special bodies for Fiat and Alfa Romeo. The company was founded by Giuseppe Colli in Milan in 1931. When Alfa Romeo ran into economic difficulties at the beginning of the 1970s and Colli's orders declined, Colli's existence was also at risk. Since no other orders could be acquired, Colli ceased operation in 1973.