Nardi Raggio Azzurro History

The Raggio Azzurro ('Blue Ray') name covers two related prototypes that demonstrated Nardi's ambitions beyond pure motorsport. The first, shown at the 1955 Turin Auto Show and subsequently in Paris and New York, was built on a tubular steel chassis using Lancia Aurelia B20 mechanicals (2.5-litre V6, uprated with Nardi components) and clothed in a daring bubble-topped coupe body styled by Giovanni Michelotti and built by Carrozzeria Vignale.

A second, more restrained car — the Raggio Azzurro II — appeared in 1958. Also designed by Michelotti and built by Vignale, it used modified Lancia Aurelia B24 mechanicals and shifted emphasis toward grand-touring refinement; a distinguishing feature was its blue Perspex roof panel that slid in tracks for ventilation. Both cars were one-off show prototypes rather than production propositions, illustrating how Nardi used prestigious coachbuilder collaborations to keep the workshop's name visible in the Italian show circuit.