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1948 Lancia Aprilia

The uni-bodied Lancia Aprilia was introduced in 1937, ending shortly thereafter due to World War II, but resuming when peacetime returned. Power was provided by a V-4 overhead-cam engine. The early examples had a 1352cc displacement, but in 1939 it rose to 1486cc. The engine was tilted at a 17-degree angle, had solid valve lifters, and three main bearings, and offered nearly 50 horsepower. They had a four-speed manual gearbox, hydraulic drum brakes, and an independent rear suspension setup. The narrow-angle V4 engine was placed in a platform chassis, a precursor to unibody construction.

The first series was known as the Type 238 and was produced from 1937 through 1939, with 10,354 examples built. They were equipped with a 1,352cc V4 engine and delivered around 47 horsepower. The second series was the Type 438 Aprilia produced from 1939-1949 with 9,728 examples built, and rested on a 108.3-inch wheelbase. Other sizes included a 112.2- and 116.1-inch platform. The longer platform models were known as Lusso and accounted for 706 units. The second series engine displaced 1,486cc and produced approximately 48 horsepower. The total production was 20,082 vehicles and 7,554 additional chassis for Turin-based coachbuilders and around 700 for French coachbuilders. The list of coachbuilders included Touring, Ugo Zagato, Riva di Merate, Bertone, Vignale, and Luigi Pagani.

The design of the Aprilia was one of the first formed using a wind tunnel resulting in a record low drag coefficient of 0.47. It was created in collaboration with Battista Farina and Politecnico di Torino and was the final car designed by Vincenzo Lancia shortly before his death at the beginning of 1937.

by Dan Vaughan

Spider by Pininfarina

The final car designed by Vincenzo Lancia shortly before his death at the beginning of 1937 was the Aprilia. The 4-cylinder mid-sized model featured four-wheel independent suspension, a narrow-angle V4 engine, and a platform chassis that was a precursor to unibody construction.

This convertible spider is one of two special Aprilias that were built on the Lancia Type 439 chassis in 1948. One was a coupe, and the other is this car, which was first bought by Gino Bartali, the famous Italian cyclist and 1948 Tour de France winner. The car was displayed by Pinin Farina alongside an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S outside the Paris Salon that year. It is highly possible that it was spotted by William Lyons of Jaguar and could well have been the inspiration for the Jaguar XK120. After several years in Europe, the car was shipped to the United States where it has remained. It was recently found in Detroit and has subsequently been restored by its current owner.

The Lancia brand gained fame for its innovation in the auto industry. The Aprilia was introduced in 1937 and was one of the original designs utilizing wind tunnels in a joint effort with Battista Farina and Politecnico di Torino. The end result was a record low drag coefficient of 0.47.

In February of 1937, Vincenzo Lancia, engineer and the founder of Lancia, died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 55. He was responsible for the creation of groundbreaking models like the Lambda and Aprilia. The beautiful Aprilia entered into full production in February, the same month of Vincenzo's death. This was the final of Vincenzo's designs and the last featuring four pillar-less doors.

Quite possibly the most advanced prewar sedan, the monocoque Aprilia continued in production for more than 10 years. Featuring an all-independent suspension, a narrow-angle V4 engine with overhead cam, hydraulic brakes, and pillar-less doors. It had a top speed of 80mph. The coach-built cabriolet body style was Berlina. It had a wheelbase of 108 inches, an overall length of 155.9 inches, a width of 57.9 inches, and a curb weight of 1,984 lbs. It featured independent suspension all round, an aluminum V4 engine, hydraulic brakes, and drum brakes placed near to the differential at the rear.

The first series ran from 1937 until 1939 and had a total production run of 10,354 units. This series featured a 1,352 cc V4 motor engine that produced 47 bhp. The second series ran from 1939 until 1949 and featured a total production run of 9,728 models. The engine capacity was heightened to 1,486 cc that produced 48 bhp. During the second series, a Lusso model was offered to the public along with a 'lungo' or lengthened chassis version. A total of 706 units of these 'lungo' models were produced from 1946 until 1949.

The production total of the Lancia Aprilia was 20,082 models and 7,554 additional chassis for coach-built bodies. These were all produced in Turin, Italy, along with around 700 units in France.

The Aprilia was offered with the steering wheel on the right side, even in markets where manufacturers usually had left-hand drive cars. Though outside of Sweden and the UK most customers tended to pick the optional left-hand drive version.

by Jessican Donaldson