Lancia Belna sedan: white and brown copy from 1934
Lancia started its French operations on 1 October 1931. At its first factory outside of Italy, at Bonneuil-sur-Marne, Lancia built the Augusta and later Aprilia models, although named them Belna and Ardennes. Approximately 3,000 Augusta/Belna and 1,500 Aprilia/Ardennes were built.
Of the approximately 3,000 Belnas built between 1934 and 1938, 2,500 were saloons and 500 bare chassis.
Georges Paulin had invented the retractable hardtop and had shown his designs to French coachbuilder Marcel Pourtout. Carrosserie Pourtout built several bodies based on the French-built Lancia Belna.