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Presiding over an expansive automotive empire has its privileges. Take the Fiat group, for example. Sergio Marchionne has put his own custom Dodge Challenger SRT8 up for auction, but his predecessor had a much larger collection at his disposal. Known as the Avvocato for his background in law, Gianni Agnelli was the chairman and largest shareholder in the Fiat group. As such, he didn't just drive showroom stock vehicles from his vast industrial empire.

Agnelli had a number of cars built to his exacting tastes. And now the Museuo Nazionale dell' Automobile, which was named in Agnelli's honor two years ago following his death, is displaying his cars in a special exhibition. The exhibit opened just a few days ago on Agnelli's birthday and includes a staggering array of custom Italian cars from the noted industrialist's private collection. Among them are a Lancia Thema wagon by Zagato, a Lancia K limousine, a Fiat 130 Shooting Brake, a Ferrari 360 Speedway roadster, a Lancia Delta Integrale Spider and even a Fiat Multipla convertible.

These one-of-a-kind vehicles were crafted by the Centro Stile Fiat and Ferrari Tailor Made division specifically for Agnelli. I am happy that this exhibition gives the public a chance to see a lesser-known aspect of Giovanni Agnelli's personality, his creativity," said Agnelli's grandson Lapo Elkann. "My grandfather loved driving cars, especially those he had custom built in terms of style, colour, combinations of materials and engines."