From 1961 to today, one of the few certainties of the Italian Republic is the Lancia Flaminia Presidenziale, the convertible that has accompanied all the heads of state from Giovanni Gronchi onwards and which will also welcome the next. In these days she has been seen wandering through the streets of the center of Rome to stretch a bit. There are four examples and it was built in 1960 at the request of President Gronchi, to worthily receive Queen Elizabeth II on an official visit. It is clear, therefore, that the old Fiat 2800 from 1939 was not considered to be up to par. Thus a convertible limousine was commissioned to what was then the most highly rated coachbuilder, namely Pinin Farina. The latter, starting from the Flaminia presented in 1957 at the Geneva Motor Show, lengthened the wheelbase up to 335 centimeters – the acronym that gave the car its name – and the length up to almost five and a half meters, to accommodate up to seven people.
In a few months, four specimens were made which, continuing the tradition, were baptized with proper names of thoroughbred horses from the Quirinale stables: Belfiore, Belmonte, Belvedere and Belsito. Furthermore, it seems that there is a fifth model built specifically for Queen Elizabeth II, who together with Prince Philip had particularly appreciated the Lancia custom-built. This elusive fifth car has been stationed for about 60 years inside Buckingham Palace, although no one has ever officially confirmed it. Returning to the known cars, Belfiore, Belmonte and Belvedere were characterized by the cabriolet body with a rigid, foldable canvas roof, while the last, the Belsito, is equipped with a non-opening canvas roof above the driver’s seat.
All Lancia Flaminia Presidenziale are painted in the characteristic midnight blue, have black Connolly leather upholstery, intercom to communicate with the driver, five rear seats with a large sofa and two folding seats. During all these decades, they have been used on the occasion of the visits of heads of state such as John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Charles De Gaulle or for the celebrations of the Centenary of the Unification of Italy. In 2001 they underwent a careful restoration and currently two of the specimens are entrusted to the Quirinale Stables: Belfiore and Belvedere are in fact the cars for the great occasions of the Head of State and the highest offices of the Republic. The Belsito, on the other hand, can be viewed at the historical museum of the Military Motorization in Rome, while the Belmonte has been exhibited since 2001 at the Turin Automobile Museum.
