Approximately 300 short wheelbase Asturas were produced. The proportions of the short wheelbase 233C are impossible to duplicate in the more common long wheelbase models. Of note are the door in the center of the body, curved door glass and the two piece V windshield, each half individually hinged to fold down as desired. The original color of Off-White was re-finished in a darker color when the car was presented as a gift of the Italian government to the German government. The earliest registered owner was collector Barney Pollard, who purchased two captured steam locomotives in Berlin in 1947. The car came as part of the package.
The mechanical engineering was quite sophisticated for its time but not widely recognized outside Europe. It has a sliding pillar front suspension and oil filled rear shocks controlled by a knob in the driver’s compartment. The single head 2,604CC, V-8 engine is an 82 HP marvel. It has a screen oil filter the rotates 17 degrees each time the starter is engaged and an internal water pump driven by a triple row timing chain.
You may purchase a print in our dElegance 2013 online gallery.
