Evaluation: One of a handful of Asturias styled by a fairly young Pinin Farina. Shown at the London Motor Show. Once owned by Eric Clapton and spent some time in Pininfarina’s ownership. Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 2016. The paint and brightwork are all still gorgeous, probably just a heavy detailing away from taking top honors at concours again.
Bottom Line: Tipo Bocca roughly translates to “mouth type” but it was actually named for the Bocca brothers, a group of Lancia dealers who commissioned a small batch of Astura chassis for Pinin Farina coachwork. Being a Best in Show winner at Pebble Beach is just about the most prestigious title around in this hobby and there is only one of them a year. But this car has been there, done that, and Best in Show isn’t really the kind of thing a car wins twice. That didn’t matter too much to the Amelia bidders, however, who recognized that the rare, sophisticated coachwork and excellent restoration are desirable traits regardless of what’s in the trophy case.
