1936 Lancia Astura

A gifted automobile engineer named Vincenzo Lancia founded his company in 1906, having previous experience working at FIAT serving as chief test driver. The first Lancia automobile rolled out of the factory in Torino in 1907, and it was endowed with an abundance of independent thought and unconventional sophistication. Bucking the trend of conventional practices would become a hallmark of the Lancia company. For the five decades during which Lancia remained a family-owned business, they would introduce a succession of significant models that would continue to raise the bar in regard to technical prowess and mechanical sophistication. The list includes the Lambda, Dilambda, Astura, Artena, Aprilia, Aurelia, Flaminia, and Fulvia.

The Lancia Lambda
The revolutionary Lambda would earn the title of being the world's first car to have a stress-bearing body and the first to be powered by a V4 engine. With the occupants seated beside rather than above the drive shaft due to the absence of a separate chassis, it was able to accommodate lower aerodynamic bodywork unlike anything traversing the roadways at the time. The monocoque construction did away with the heavy, separate chassis and much of the strength was derived from the transmission tunnel that formed the backbone of the car. The company's patented sliding-pillar independent front suspension rewarded the Lambda with superior handling qualities and it was one of the first production automobiles to incorporate this technology. The compact, single overhead-camshaft, narrow-angle V-4 engine had its cylinders banked at a mere 13 degrees, and the 2,120cc unit was progressively enlarged throughout the years, arriving at its final 2,570cc, 68bhp configuration in 1928. The early cars used a three-speed manual gearbox while later examples used a four-speed unit. Braking was by drums all round and steering by worm and wheel.

The Lambda enjoyed a long production run which continued into 1931 with modifications chronicled in Series 1 through 9.

The Lancia Dilambda
The Lancia Dilambda made its debut in 1929 at the Paris Motor Show, and it came equipped with a 4.0-liter V8 engine with a 24-degree V angle. To accommodate the larger powerplant, the Dilambda used body-on-frame construction. It was built in three Series through 1935 with the 129.5-inch wheelbase offered through the Series 2 while the longer 137-inch platform was available through all three series. Most examples were bodied by Pinin Farina as Sig. Lancia himself was a minority shareholder of the firm.

Battista 'Pinin' Farina
Battista 'Pinin' Farina established his company in 1930 with financial assistance from Vincenzo Lancia. The elegant designs and smooth shapes established Farina's reputation as a talented coachbuilder and many of the designs became styling trademarks for the newly formed company.

The Lancia Astura
The Lancia Astura was produced between 1931 and 1939 and, along with the four-cylinder (V4) Artena, served as a replacement for the Lambda. Both the Astura and the Artena were introduced at the 1931 Paris Motor Show with the production of the Artena ending after 1936 (although, it was built from 1940 through 1942 primarily for military use). A total of 5,567 examples of the Artena were built.

While previous Lancia vehicle names had been assigned the letters of the Greek alphabet, the Astura embraced Italian nationalism as it was named after an ancient island castle south of Rome near Nettuno on Italy's west coast. It was powered by a 2.6-liter narrow-angle V-8 engine, and by 1934, displacement had grown to 2.9-liters for added low-end torque. The engine was narrower than a conventional V-8 and shorter than an inline – with a single-cylinder head. The cylinder head, itself, was unique as the lower section was built from cast iron while the upper section was aluminum. In between is the camshaft driven by a triplex chain with a tensioner. The Autokleen oil filter rotated a cleaning cylinder every time the engine was started. The engine was installed into the chassis on four rubber isolators.

Both long and short-wheelbase sizes were offered, and numerous advancements were added to the chassis throughout its lifespan, including central chassis lubrication, adjustable rear shock absorbers, power-assisted brakes, and an easy-to-operate gearbox.

The First and Second generations of the Astura were equipped with a 2.6-liter, 19-degree V8 engine rated at 72 horsepower. The Third and Fourth generations relied on a 3.0-liter 17-degree V8 engine capable of 82 horsepower. Both had single overhead camshafts and breathed through a single carburetor.

A total of 798 examples of the First series were built in 1932 on a 125.2-inch wheelbase and by the time production ceased in 1939, nearly 3,00 examples had been built (a few were finished during the war). The Third series, known as the Tipo 223, was introduced in 1933, bringing with it the larger, 2,973 cubic-centimeter V-8 engine, and for the first time, was offered in two wheelbase lengths. A total of 908 examples were built as Lungo residing on the 131-inch platform (Tipo 233L), while 328 received the Corto specification (Tipo 233C) on the 122-inch wheelbase chassis. The Fourth series Astura was offered solely on the long-wheelbase platform.

The narrow-angle V8 engine allowed coachbuilders to explore dramatic designs with aerodynamic profiles and vee'd windshields. Gently curves were applied to many of the hand-built bodies and the cross-braced box-section platform allowed for a wider design latitude. Among the list of coachbuilders were Pinin Farina, Boneschi, Castagna, Viotti, and Pourtout.

Although the Astura favored luxury and traditional road-going uses, they did achieve some success in motorsport competition. In 1934, a Castagna-bodied Astura was driven to 10th place in the Mille Miglia by Mario Nardilli and Carlo Pintacuda. These two individuals later won the Giro d'Italia later in the year with the Astura. They finished the six-day, 3,534-mile circuit around Italy in 65 hours, 57 minutes, and 6 seconds at an average of 53.58 mph. Giuseppe Farina and E. Oneto driving another Astura finished third.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022