CONTENTS

HISTORY OF THE APPIA

Once the Aurelia had been successfully introduced in 1950, Lancia set to work on a new car destined to replace the Ardea in the medium-light weight range. The Ardea  had been a very popular car on account of its lively performance and exceptionally low running costs, but by this time it had inevitably begun to feel the effects of old age. Planning had started soon after 1935 and the car had, in fact, been marketed for the first time a few months before the outbreak of World War II. During the war, production of the Ardea had been suspended, and although the factory had the car coming off the line again alongside the Aprilia as soon as hostilities were over, it eventually became apparent that the continual improvements made to the car on the introduction of each of the four new series could not altogether compensate for the rather cramped body and the small 903cc engine. Both the times and the customers’ tastes were changing, and it was clear that the Ardea would ultimately have to be replaced.

In 1950 Gianni Lancia, then head of the concern, asked Vittorio Jano and his right hand man Battista Falchetto, to put their project team to work on a one litre car with a roomier, more modern body.

The body itself, still chassis based, began to assume its final shape right form the very earliest design stages. Styling was similar to the Aurelia, with a rounded shield type radiator grille and a slightly concave curve at the rear end. The wheelbase was fixed at 2.48, slightly longer than the Ardea (2.44).

During the early experimental stages the engine size was the same as the 903cc Ardea (65x68), but technically speaking it was very different form its predecessor although it did in fact inherit the narrow ten degree V cylinder layout; the sloping valves were opened and shut by pushrods and rockers operated by two camshafts, which in turn were driven by silent chain with a patented automatic, hydraulic tensioner. The aluminium cylinder head had inserted valve seats and hemispherical combustion chambers.

Given the small amount of space available between the cylinders, it was decided to use a crankshaft with only two end bearings. This decision was further justified by the fact that the low compression ratio would not subject the bearings to too much strain. It goes without saying that a great deal of time and effort was spent in designing and balancing the crankshaft itself to obviate any possibility of flexing at high engine speeds. Some development difficulties were experienced with the location of the pushrods and of the bolts fixing the head to the crankcase.

After early bench testing, it was decided to boost engine capacity by increasing the stroke, thus having dimensions 65 to 72 to give 955cc. Later a perfectly square engine was tried with a bore and stroke of 68x68 to give 987 cc. At the beginning of 1953, the definitive cubic capacity was adopted: 1090 cc, with bore and stroke of 68 to 75 mm. With compression ratio of 7.4 to 1, power output was 38  HP at 4400 rpm, and maximum torque of 7.2 mkg was delivered at 3000 rpm. Plugs were neatly positioned at the centre of the V formed by each row of cylinders.

Front wheel independent suspension was in the classic Lancia tradition – transverse axle with vertical pillars containing coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers inside the springs. However, travel and flexibility had both been improved in comparison to the ardea, and wheel-road reaction had been reduced by improving the steering joints. The steering box itself was of the helicodial sector type with a worm and roller mechanism and a ratio of 4/48. Right hand drive was standard but left hand drive was available on request. Rear suspension consisted of semi-elliptic, asymmetrical leaf springs with hydraulic, telescopic shock absorbers.

The four speed gearbox in unit construction with the engine was of the conventional type with a secondary shaft and constant mesh worm gears. Second, third and fourth gears were synchronised and ratios were as follows: 3.912: 1 – 2.176: 1 – 1.418:1 – 1: 1; reverse 5.583: 1.  The shift lever on the steering column had first and second gears away form the driver, while third and fourth were towards him. The propeller shaft had two flexible end couplings; back axle was 41/9.