Lancia Belna Coupé «Paul Née» 1936 Lot n° 21

Châssis n°F34 1322 Moteur n°1403 Type F88 Boite de vitesse n°1412 Type F127 Carte Grise Française March 12, 1936, Mr. Alexandre Lecamus orders his Lancia Belna for 35,000 francs. 
At the time, Lancia enjoyed a solid reputation for innovation that the Belna did not usurp. 
It is equipped with hydraulic brakes, a self-supporting body and Lancia's V4 cylinders, among others. Notable of the city of Castres, Mr. Lecamus did not opt in for the standard factory sedan, but will have his chassis bodied by Paul Née in a coupé if you may. The Lecamus couple enjoyed it for many years and when Mr. Lecamus died in 1955, his wife registered the car under her maiden name, Marie Charvet. Years later, in the 1970s, Madam Charvet gave the car to the grandson of her caregiver, the young man we see behind the Belna while Madame Lecamus poses in front of the car with the City Hall of Castres behind. The Lancia Belna is none other than a Lancia Augusta renamed for the French market, although with some specific features, but we will come back to that later. The Augusta was designed just after the 1929 crisis, in an economic context that was not conducive to eccentricity. It was an economical model with smaller dimensions than its predecessors, while retaining technical innovations (among others: self-supporting body, independent suspensions, hydraulic brakes, etc.), Lancia's trademark. She will save the brand in this difficult period, in particular thanks to its success in Italy. But back to Belna. Following the crisis, import duties were prohibitive, to continue selling abroad, it was necessary to build a factory to sell “on site”. Two choices were available for the future buyer, a sedan (code F231) or a chassis ready to be bodied (code F234). Pourtout, Paul Née, ... are some of the French bodybuilders who will be asked to dress the Belna. Around 3000 Belna were manufactured during the four years of existence of Lancia France, including 2500 F231 sedans and 500 F234 chassis. For the record, the Lancia Augusta had a real competitive career, notably participating in the Mille Miglia, the Copa d'Oro and the Targa Florio. It was said to be the favorite car of Tazio Nuvolari and Achille Varzi. He decided to have the car restored and entrusted it to the Bruni workshop, but he never registered the car. Called by the sirens of the American dream, he left France and gave the car to his sister, Florence Alba. She registered the car in 1984 without modificate Madam Lecamus' registration. Therefore, the car never left Castres ! Years later, the current owner, cousin of Florence Alba and whose father was an apprentice at Brumi, acquired the car and scrupulously kept it in the same condition as he took possession. This extremely rare Lancia Coupé designed and produced by Paul Née has only had two families of owners as it celebrates its 88th birthday (proof if any is needed, that is a car you become attached!). It is in extremely healthy condition (no corrosion) thanks to the restoration it benefited in the 1970’s. Since then, it has almost never been driven and it is complete. It is awaiting a new family of enthusiasts who, after the usual checks and restarting the engine, will once again be able to admire its lines on the roads of France. The 1955 registration is still present! Paul Née was a French coachbuilder who had his heyday between the wars. Hispano Suiza, Bugatti and Mathis are some of the major manufacturers whose cars he has dressed. Without forgetting Lancia, with whom he had a special relationship. The small rear jump seat, which accommodates a third passenger in the event of an emergency. Note the assembly numbering of the original wooden panels from the coachbuilder and all the trim of the original car in good condition. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the driver and passenger seats which will have to be restored. The 1.2l V4 proves to be an excellent engine, capable of reaching more than 3500 rpm, which few of its competitors could match. Having been dormant for several years, it will need to be checked before restarting. The engine serial number matches the one of the block. An intriguing “Vesuve” inscription is painted on the cylinder head cover. For the hot summer days in Castres, a windshield with an opening system had been installed, to ventilate the passenger compartment. By some miracles, the Belna still has its original owner's manual, complete with numerous technical drawings. The chassis plate and the cold stamping on the self-supporting shell match. The manufacture of radiators was entrusted to the Chausson companies, which also supplied Bugatti, among others. Cibié lighthouses are also a French specificity. Another particularity of the Belna, all the instruments on the dashboard are signed Jaeger and not Metron as in Italy, we won't complain! Oil pressure, speed, chrono and fuel gauge, the dashboard has no shortage of information. One more particularity for our Belna: its black and ivory livery as specified on its 1936 order form. The original key the purchase order, which allows us to learn the different options and supplements requested by Mr. Lecamus.