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 Dan Vaughan

Cabriolet by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 33-5313
Engine number: 91-1171

The Lancia Astura was introduced in November of 1931 and served as a replacement for Lancia's flagship Dilambda. The outgoing Dilambda had an overall weight of 2,010 kilograms and was powered by a 3,960-cubic centimeter engine. The Astura had the same length but was lighter and more efficient, and its engine had a reduced displacement, resulting in a better power-to-weight ratio than the earlier car. The Astura also broke with the company's naming scheme of using letters of the Greek alphabet and instead named the new model after an ancient island castle south of Rome.

The Lambda pioneered monocoque construction methods in 1922. The Astura, however, was designed for custom coachwork and was given a cross-braced box-section platform to allow wider design latitude.

Initially, the Astura had a single 125-inch wheelbase, but for the 3rd Series, two versions were offered. Nine hundred and eight were built as Lungo, with a wheelbase of 131 inches as the Tipo 233L, while 328 were constructed to Corto specification on a wheelbase of 122 inches as Tipo 233C.

Like its predecessors, the chassis had excellent torsional stiffness. The front suspension retained Lancia's sliding-pillar independent setup, while the rear axle was given friction dampers that could be adjusted via dashboard-mounted controls. A Bijur central lubrication system was provided. The 3rd Series also received a Dewandre brake servo and a 78-liter fuel tank. An option for late cars was a hydraulic braking system, built by Marelli under license from Lockheed.

In a similar fashion to the Dilambda, the Astura had a narrow-angle V-8 engine. Initially, at 19-degrees with a displacement of 2,604 cubic centimeters and producing 73 brake horsepower at 4,000 rpm, by the introduction of the 3rd Series in 1933, it had grown to 2,972 cubic centimeters at an angle of 17-degrees 30-minutes, in which form it produced 82 brake horsepower at 4,000 rpm.

The narrow-angle engine was compact and narrower than a conventional V-8 and shorter than an inline - with a single-cylinder head. The head has a cast-iron lower section and an aluminum upper section. In between was the camshaft driven by a triplex chain with a tensioner. The engine was given an Autokleen oil filter which rotated a cleaning cylinder every time the engine was started.

The engine was mounted into the chassis on four rubber isolators.

The 3rd Series Astura weighed 1,500 kilograms, while the bare coachbuilders' platform came in at 960 kilograms. Lancia suggested that coachbuilders limit bodywork weight to no more than 460 kilograms.

The 3rd Series Asturas was not decided for competition, but that did not stop privateers from racing. In 1934, a Castagna-bodied Astura was driven to 10th place in the Mille Miglia by Mario Nardilli and Carlo Pintacuda. Later that year, the same pair won the Giro d'Italia, a six-day, 3,534-mile circuit around Italy, finishing the grueling event in 65 hours, 57 minutes, and 6 seconds at an average of 53.58 mph. Another Astura driven by Giuseppe Farina and E. Oneto finished third.

The Lancia Astura was designed to receive the best custom coachwork available in the 1930s. Pinin Farina was among the first companies to body the Astura. These luxurious cars gained notoriety after the Mussolini regime made them official government transportation.

This third-series short wheelbase, or corto, Astura is one of the most photographed Lancias in the world. Its Pinin Farina body was designed by Mario Revelli di Beaumont, who took full advantage of the narrow-angle V-8 engine. It was commissioned by a Lancia dealer in Biella who ultimately ordered a total of six Bocca cabriolets in both corto and lungo chassis.

The exterior is finished in pale grey paint with blue upholstery and a power-actuated convertible top. This vehicle is one of 328 Corto versions produced on the short-wheelbase 122-inch platform.

The proportions of the short-wheelbase 233C are impossible to duplicate in the more common long-wheelbase models. On note is the door in the center of the body, curved door glass and the two-piece V-windshield, each half individually hinged to fold down as desired. The original color of Off-White was refinished in a darker color when the car was presented as a gift of the Italian government to the German government.

The mechanical engineering was quite sophisticated for its time but not widely recognized outside of Europe. It has a sliding pillar front suspension and oil-filled rear shocks controlled by a knob in the driver's compartment. The single-head, 2604cc, V8 engine is an 82-horsepower marvel. It has a screen oil filter that rotates 17 degrees each time the starter is engaged and an internal water pump driven by a triple-row timing chain.

It was shown at the 1936 Salone del l'Automobile, Milano on the Pinin Farina stand. After the Milan Auto Show, it was acquired by Ghiara & C., Lancia's main agent in Genoa. Ghiara sold the car to Cav. Piero Sanguineti, a local industrialist, for about 75,000 Lire. In May of 1937, Sanguineti displayed the car at the inaugural Concorso d'Eleganza per Automobili, San Remo, where it received a class award.

The car was later purchased by Emil Uebel, Lancia's German distributor, who apparently kept it in his main facility in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Its whereabouts during the War are not fully known. In early 1947 it was purchased by Barney Pollard, as part of a package deal with two steam locomotives. Pollard shipped number 33-5313 to the United States and kept the car until 1980 when it was sold to Armand Giglio. Mr. Giglio retained the car for two decades, selling it in 2004 to an owner in Connecticut. At this point in history, the car was mostly original except for an older repaint. The new owner undertook a restoration of the wood framing, as well as some body preparation work. It was then sold to Orin Smith in late 2011, who commissioned a complete restoration to concours standard.

The completed car won Best in Class at the Classic Sports Sunday at Mar-a-Lago, and People's Choice at Amelia Island, both in 2013. In 2014, it traveled to Italy where it was judged Most Sympathetic Restoration at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Recently, the car was exhibited at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, as part of their 'Rolling Sculpture' exhibit of advanced streamlined design.

Cabriolet by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 33-3277
Engine number: 41208

In 1931, Lancia introduced the Artena and the Astura at the Paris Salon to replace the revolutionary but aging Lambda and Dilambda models. The Astura was named after a castle on a small island near Nettuno on Italy's west coast. As with the Dilambda, the Astura was powered by a narrow-angle V8 engine. By the introduction of the 3rd Series in 1933, the engine had grown to nearly 3 liters and an even narrower angle of 17 degrees. The first series production began in 1932 with 798 examples built that year, and production ceased in 1939 after nearly 3,000 examples had been built, although a few were finished during the war. The Astura was the car of choice for many prominent Italian government officials.

In 1930, Battista 'Pinin' Farina established his company, in part with an investment from Vincenzo Lancia. Farina quickly created a reputation with the bodies he designed for the newly introduced Lancia Astura. The smooth shapes and elegant designs quickly became styling trademarks for the newly formed company.

This Astura was built on a 1934 chassis and is one of a series of six cars with similar styling commissioned by a Lancia dealer known as Bocca. This car, chassis number 33-3277, was sold in 1936 and the original owner is unknown. After World War II, the car was in the United Kingdom and in the ownership of the chief engineer of BOAC, the British national airline. By the 1960s, the car sat abandoned in a garden in Surrey. It was discovered there in 19962 by Ronald 'Steady' Barker and Michael Scott. Barker showed a photo of the Astura to Mr. Farina, who made a generous offer - if the car could be brought to the Pininfarina facilities near Turin, Italy, he would have it restored at no cost to Michael Scott. Just a year and a half later, the work was completed. This was the first time the Pininfarina Company had ever done a restoration.

The car was retained by Mr. Scott until May of 1976, at which time it was sold to musician Eric Clapton, one of several Asturas he would own. At some time in the 1980s, the car was offered for sale at auction where it was purchased by Pininfarina for the factory collection. It would remain there until purchased by the current owner through a friend who has a close business relationship with the firm.

The car is powered by a V-8 engine that displaces 2973cc and breathes through a 2-Barrel Zenith carburetor. The 82 horsepower is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. There are four-wheel drum brakes and an independent front suspension. There is a laid-back grille, balanced teardrop fenders, recessed door handles, and a long wheelbase. Inside, there are basket-weave leather seat backs, orange Bakelite control knobs and jewel-like Jaeger dashboard instruments.

In 2010, this vehicle was offered for sale at the Pebble Beach Auction presented by Gooding & Company. The car was estimated to sell for $450,000 - $550,000. It would leave the auction unsold. Its current owner acquired the car in 2019 after it had been restored by P & A Wood in England.

by Dan Vaughan

Cabriolet by Pininfarina

This 3rd series Lancia Astura is one of six Cabriolets ordered from Pinin Farina by a Lancia dealer simply known as 'Bocca.' Its current owner acquired the car in 2019 after it had been restored by P & A Wood in England.

The Lancia Astura was introduced in November of 1931 and produced through 1939 with 2,484 examples built. Lancia's traditional naming scheme for their cars used the letters of the Greek alphabet, but the Astura broke from that path and displayed a new Italian nationalism, named after an ancient island castle south of Rome. Introduced at the 1931 Paris Motor Show alongside the four-cylinder Artena, it served as a replacement for the company's flagship Dilambda. Compared to its predecessor, the Astura was lighter and, even with a smaller displacement engine, was more efficient regarding power-to-weight. Lancia had pioneered monocoque construction in their 1922 Lambda, but since the Astura was destined for carrozzeria, it was given a cross-braced, box-section platform. Although it used a more conventional construction technique, it had excellent torsional stiffness, which added to the refinement and the feeling of solidity. The rear suspension was a live axle that was controlled by friction dampers that could be adjusted to suit via dashboard-mounted controls. In front used Lancia's sliding-pillar independent setup, and a Bijur central lubrication system was standard equipment. It retained the same length as the Dilambda but was lighter and more efficient, and its overhead camshaft V8 engine, installed in the chassis on four rubber isolators, displaced 2604cc (later increasing to 2972cc and 82 horsepower) and delivered just over 70 horsepower. It used a narrow-angle V8 configuration, initially at 19-degree but grew to 17 degrees 30-minutes for the larger displacement size. The narrow-angle allowed for a compact unit and was narrower than a conventional V-8e engine and shorter than an inline unit, along with a single-cylinder head. The cylinder head had an aluminum upper section and a cast-iron lower section, with a triplex chain with a tensioner located in between. A unique Autokleen oil filter was used and it rotated a cleaning cylinder every time the engine was started.

Factory and custom coachwork were available, and among the coachbuilders was Pinin Farina, who built one of their earliest coachwork for the Astura. As the performance was among the paramount priorities, Lancia recommended that coachbuilders limit bodywork weight to no more than 460 kilograms.

The Fist Series was produced between 1931 and 1932 with a total of 496 examples built during that time. The Second Series was built in 1932 and 1933 with 750 examples made. By the introduction of the 3rd Series in 1933, engine displacement had grown to 2,972cc and horsepower had risen from 73 brake horsepower at 4,000 RPM to 82 bhp at 4,000 RPM. The 3rd Series also received a Dewandre brake servo and a 78-liter fuel tank. The Fourth Series was from 1937 through 1939 with 423 units built. The Fourth Series was only offered on a long wheelbase. A hydraulic braking system was optional for late cars, built by Marelli under license from Lockheed.

Series One and Two rested on a 125.2-inch wheelbase, and the Series Three was available on either a 122 or 131.1-inch wheelbase. The Fourth Series was the largest, with a wheelbase size of 137 inches.

by Dan Vaughan