cinematic realism 1930s Cars in Period Settings Lancia Aprilia - Alpine Border Crossing, Dusk A midnight blue Lancia Aprilia sedan waits at an Italian-Swiss border checkpoint as dusk falls over Alpine peaks. Nervous passengers – a Jewish academic family fleeing fascist persecution – present carefully prepared papers to stone-faced guards. Their innovative pillarless Italian car contains their remaining possessions after hasty departure from Turin university life. Snow begins falling gently on the revolutionary monocoque body whose advanced engineering represents Italian ingenuity now compromised by political ideology. Border officials examine trunk compartments as the family maintains composed expressions despite their desperate circumstances. The Lancia's stressed-steel construction and remarkable handling would normally inspire conversation among automotive enthusiasts, but now its primary virtue is reliability for uncertain journeys ahead. The father grips the steering wheel tightly, engine idling smoothly as they await judgment that will determine their fate.