1927 Lancia Lambda 7th Series Torpedo Tourer

This Lambda was completed at the Turin Lancia plant on May 6th of 1927 and delivered new to Australia. It has body style number 218, which indicates that it has a short wheelbase. There is still a dashboard plaque attached to the car from the dealer, Shields Motor Company Pty. Ltd. of Melbourne.

The early history of this car is unknown. By around 1960, the car was still complete but dismantled. It was in the care of Australian owner John Davies. Mr. Davies later sold the car to Walter Hunter of Como, Western Australia, in 1976. Mr. Hunter gave the car a restoration and then re-sold it to Mr. Davies in 1993. In October 1995, the tourer ran in the biennial Castlemaine Rally, hosted by the Australian Lancia Register. It was brought to the United States in 2004 and sent to a major California collection.

Seventh-series cars have wider doors, cut out in the rear for the fender. They are powered by the Tipo 78 engine and have a larger displacement, improved exhaust porting and spark plug relocation to the cylinder head. They had much more power than the previous Lambda models.

In 2010, this vehicle was offered for sale at the Pebble Beach Auction presented by Gooding & Company. The car was estimated to sell for $150,000 - $200,000. The car would leave the auction unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010