1960 Lancia Appia Coupe

The Lancia Appia arrived in 1953 and had many styling elements from its big brother, the Aurelia B10. It had an ultra-compact engine positioned at a narrow-angle of just 10-degrees. The V4 unit displaced 1089cc, and the inclined overhead valves were set in hemispherical combustion chambers and operated by twin camshafts in the block. The Appia had unitary-construction with a sliding-pillar independent front suspension. The notchback-style Series II cars rode on a longer wheelbase and were given a slightly more powerful engine, now rated at 43 bhp. The Series III cars had 48 bhp.

A limited run of special edition Appia models was produced on a separate chassis and bodied by the leading carrozzerias. The coupes were created by Pininfarina, Vignale the cabriolet, and Zagato the GT coupé. Those more sporty Appia models were fitted with a 53 bhp engine. The lightweight Zagato models, with their aerodynamic coachwork, could achieve 100 mph.

This example is a left-hand drive Appia GTE Coupe with coachwork by Zagato. It was delivered new in Guatemala, where it was owned by one Ira Dever Lewis Clark, an American citizen. The second owner took possession of the car in 2003. In 2006, it came into the ownership of only its third owner. In 2008, the car was offered for sale at the 'Quail Lodge, A Sale of Exceptional Motorcars and Automobilia' presented by Bonhams Auction. It was estimated to sell for $70,000 - 90,000 but would leave the auction unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2008