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1000 Finarte / Classic Cars

Monday 13 May 2019, 06:00 PM • Brescia

229

1928 Lancia Lambda Torpedo 8a serie tipo corto (Lancia)

Chassis no. 20145 - Engine no. 6863

Estimate

€ 260.000 - 280.000

Sold

€ 291.175

The price includes buyer's premium

Information

  • Mille Miglia eligible.
  • As a pre-war vehicle, it has the benefit of positioning early in the starting order.
  • Mille Miglia: excellent coefficient of 1.75.
  • Mechanics restored and tuned by Vittorio Benuzzi, Storicar. Documented work.
  • Excellent recent sports results at the Mille Miglia.

Certifications and Statements
Fia, Fiva.

Documents
Registration and Italian license plates in order.

Eligibility
  • Mille Miglia. Eligible. 
  • Giro di Sicilia. Eligible.
  • Targa Florio. Eligible. 
  • Goodwood Revival. Eligible
  • Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti. Eligible.
  • Vernasca Silver Flag. Eligible.
  • California Mille: Eligible.
  • Nürburgring Classic. Eligible.
  • Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Eligible.
  • Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Eligible.
  • Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille. Eligible.
  • Concorso d’eleganza Villa D’Este. Eligible.

Provenance

The model
The surprising innovations, for a car designed and built in the late 1920s, included a monocoque chassis, independent front suspension and hydraulic dampers: to some extent the basis of most modern cars. Thanks to the designer Battista Giuseppe Falchetto, the ingenious ideas of Vincenzo Lancia were translated into a concrete project. The narrow-angle aluminum Lancia V4 engine was also notable. All three displacements shared the same 120 mm long stroke, and all were SOHC designs with a single camshaft serving both banks of cylinders. The first engine had 13° V angle, second 14° and third 13° 40'. The engine, a 2,120cc unit , was progressively enlarged, arriving finally at 2,569 cc, 69 hp configuration in 1928. The first Lambdas had three-speed gearboxes, with a four-speed version being developed in 1925. The design of the Lambda engine, under the general oversight of Battista Falchetto, was in the hands of a small group. Primitivo Rocco, responsible for all of Lancia’s engine designs was in charge, supported by Augusto Cantarini and Quarello making up the third member of the group. The Lambda’s technical innovations make it still very pleasant to drive today. Impressive, considering that it is a car with 90 years of history and life.Also from an aesthetic point of view, the Lambda was absolutely innovative: the front hood is low, compared to its contemporaries, allowing a larger windshield. Another difference: the roof, when open, disappears into a dedicated space, unlike other convertibles of the era, in which the open top stood out cumbersomely. In fact, the line still appears modern, fast and elegant even today.The Lambda’s sporting career was restricted by the manufacturer's determination to make it a touring car, choosing displacements that sat awkwardly with the classes recognised by the AIACR. A series of special Lambda "Corsa" versions were prepared for the Coppa delle 1000 Miglia in 1927, the Strazza-Varallo crew driving one to 4th place overall ahead of another driven by Pugno-Beggia. For the following edition, five Lambda “Tipo 223" torpedo-bodied versions and three special short-chassis spiders bodied by Casaro were prepared, all fitted with a special head developed by Romagnoni & Pirotta and offered as an option on the production cars. The model's commercial history can be summarized in the around 13,000 examples produced in nine series between 1922 and 1931.With the eighth series, launched in the spring of 1928, the Lambda received the 2,569 cc engine. The power reached 69 hp at 3500 rpm, in part thanks to a new carburetor, always Zenith, but HK38 type. The maximum speed now exceeded 120 km/h. The chassis also underwent modifications, presenting itself as a real platform. This way the coachbuilders, could work more easily and take greater advantage of it. Other new features: raising the radiator, a new dashboard (with a rev counter as standard) and the possibility of left-hand drive. The selling price, however, significantly increased: in 1923, LIT 43,000 was needed for a complete torpedo, seven years later it required LIT 1,000 more for a bare chassis. Some VIII series Lambda performed very well in the grueling second edition of the Mille Miglia, in 1928. The last "VIII series" left the factory on August 28, 1930, giving way to the "IX series".

The car
The Lancia Lambda, chassis no. 20145 is an example of the VIII series, produced in Lancia in 1928. It has a Torpedo body on a short wheelbase frame (3.100 mm) and is therefore a "Tipo 223", the same that participated in the 1928 Mille Miglia. The Mille Miglia has a particular importance for this car (chassis no. 20145), since it participated in the Mille Miglia re-enactments with impressive results: In recent years it has always ranked in the top 20 absolute places.The mechanics have undergone a total and detailed restoration and has been tuned to make the car competitive and reliable (proven by the results). The enormous work, performed by the well-known Lambda specialist, Vittorio Bernuzzi of Storicar, is described and documented by photos and other material that we invite you to consult. The car, chassis no. 20145, bodywork and interiors have been restored, though the seats show traces of wear. The car has registration documents in order and up to date and has FIA and FIVA fiche. As reported on the FIVA form, the car has a chassis no. (20145) belonging to the VIII series (from 18601 to 22535), but has some details of the previous model: smaller doors, windshields and fenders. Admissible changes as they occurred during the period of use. The engine is a correct "type 79".The car has an excellent factor of 1.75 and has already been accepted and will participate in the Mille Miglia 2019, so, exceptionally, the car will be delivered after the race.

State of the Art: Mechanics and bodywork restored and tuned by specialists (Lambda). Interior has been restored, some signs of wear

Literature

Oscar Capellano, Lambda, L’eccezionale, Lancia Club, Italia 2000.-Wim Oude Weernink, La Lancia, Motor Racing Pubblications, UK 1979.-Ferruccio Bernabò, Alfio Manganaro, Lancia Catalogue Raisonnè 1907-1990, Automobilia, Italia 1990.