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1935 Lancia Asutra

Vincenzo Lancia was the chief test driver for Fiat before founding his own company in 1906. The company's first vehicle was introduced a year later and by 1922, the first V8-engined Lancia appeared. The V8 Astrua and the V4-engined Artena were introduced in 1931, and these were the first Lancias to be named after Italian locations rather than the Greek alphabet. They were introduced at the Paris Salon as a replacement for 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. Similar to the Dilambda, the Astura was equipped with a narrow-angle V8 engine, and by the introduction of the 3rd Series in 1933, the engine displacement had grown to nearly 3 liters and an even narrower angle of 17 degrees. The 4th Series featured a longer unitary chassis that was perfectly suited for some of the finest coachwork of the period.

The first series Astura production was produced between 1931 and 1932 with 496 units made. The Second series, which used modified engine mounts for reduced noise and vibration, was built from 1932 to 1933 with 750 examples made. The 3rd series was produced from 1933 to 1937 with 1,243 units made. The fourth and final series was built from 1937 to 1939 with 423 units made. Production ended in 1939, although a few were finished during the war.

The 2,606cc single-overhead camshaft eight-cylinder engine of the Series 1 and 2 used a single carburetor and produced 72 horsepower. The Series 3 and Series 4 had a 2,973cc eight-cylinder engine with a single carburetor and 82 horsepower. Series 1 and 2 models rested on a 125.2-inch wheelbase platform; the Series 3 could be purchased with either a 122 or 131.1-inch platform; and the Series 4 had a larger, 137-inch wheelbase.

by Dan Vaughan

Cabriolet
Chassis number: 33*5181

Vincenzo Lancia founded his own company in 1906, having previously been the chief test driver for Fiat. The first Lancia was introduced in 1907, and the first V8-engined Lancia, the Trikappa sportscar, appeared in 1922. Two new models were introduced in 1931, the V8 Astura and the V4-engined Artena. These were the first Lancias to be named after Italian locations rather than the Greek alphabet, a move in keeping with the nationalistic spirit of the age. one of Lancia's most important models, Astura Series IV, featured a longer unitary chassis that was perfect for some of the finest coachwork of the period.

This Series IV Astura is one of the few roadsters built by Pinin Farina. The car was originally commissioned by Ms. Fredy Blaettler, and it won its class at the 1935 Turin Concours d'Elegance. The stylish chrome accents were designed by the Italian sportsman, artist, and designer Count Mario Revelli di Beaumont. The car belonged to the Rosso Bianco collection for many years before the current owner acquired it in 2011, and it has just been restored back to its original two-seater configuration.

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