Lancia 1956
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Italy
Appia
Appia Berlina (C10) (1089 cc, 38 bhp; wb: 248 cm) – discontinued
Appia Berlina 2a Serie (C10), 4-door sedan (1089 cc, 44 bhp; wb: 251 cm) – March
Appia Zagato Coupé, 2-door Coupé (1089 cc, 53 bhp; wb: 251 cm) – prototype (Turin)
Aurelia
Aurelia II serie (B12) (2266 cc)
Aurelia (B55/56) (2266 cc)
Aurelia (B20) GT 2500 serie V (V6, 2451 cc, 110 bhp; wb: 265 cm)
Aurelia (B24) convertible (2451 cc) - new model
Flaminia (V6, 2458 cc, 98 bhp; wb:
287 cm) – Turin (April) |
| Lancia have produced a new car, to be known as the Flaminia, which represents a complete break with tradition for this old Turin firm. For the first time they have forsaken their classical front suspension with its sliding vertical pillar, and have adopted the almost universal wishbone type, which indicates that the Lancia engineers now consider the previous designs to have reached the peak of -development in the effort to obtain the comfort and accurate steering demanded of a modern high-performance saloon. The Flaminia is not a cheap car, judging from the methods of construction, although this comment must await announcement of the official price. But with its body obviously based on the Pinin Farina Florida design presented just a year ago, it is certainly one of the most elegant series production cars to `be introduced for a long time. Whether the price will be such that it can be sold in large quantities remains to be seen.
Lancias need a fillip to their automobile sales; the 1,090 c.c. Appia, with its recent face-lift, is still in a high price bracket and suffers keen competition from the four-door Alfa Romeo Giulietta saloon. Their incursion into racing was an expensive adventure and it is hoped that the new model, in conjunction with a reconstitution of the managerial side, will bring about a revival in the fortunes of this famous firm.
In the Flaminia's transition from the original Florida there have been detail changes made, with an eye to the production problems associated with large quantities, but they do not change significantly the beauty of line which was such an outstanding feature of the Farina styling. The four doors have no central pillar, the front one being hinged at its leading edge and the rear one aft: But each door window has its own framework, so that the side of the car is not completely open when the windows are wound down, as was the Florida. With the extra stiffness thus achieved, the combined door stop and rear passenger hand rail which spanned the car behind the front seat squab is discarded. Rear end treatment of the two cars is identical, the pointed apex of each rear wing blending into the framework of the rear window to form a small overhang above. Twin wipers are provided on the rear window, and the rear bumpers are styled into the wing and stop light treatment in such a way that they do not form overhanging excrescences. The roof height has been raised by approximately Sin to increase ease of entry. A fully wrapped-round screen is used, and the pillars slope forward slightly from the vertical. Cloth trim is employed, and although the front seats are separate, they can be lined up to form a bench.
(Turin report) The Aurelia Spyder now has leather trim and wind-up windows, and is renamed the Convertible.
(Paris report) The orthodox seldom if ever leaves the Lancia factory in Turin, and the new Flaminia, which was introduced at the Turin Show in April, is thoroughly in keeping with the tradition. In appearance it is based on the Florida design by Pinin Farina, and the semi-rectangular radiator grille bears no family resemblance to former Lancias. The full-wrapped windscreen with near vertical pillars shows American influence, the rear quarters have at first sight a bit of the British razor-edge about them, but Italian purity of line and economy of embellishment are evident. It has a platform-type chassis, and is the first Lancia for many years to have other than sliding pillar-type front suspension, having converted to a form of the now almost universal wishbone and coil layout. The engine is a 2,458 c.c. V-six, similar in design to the Aurelia but larger in the bore and shorter in the stroke. This drives via a single, gear box and differential unit to a typical Lancia de Dion rear axle carried on half-elliptic leaf springs. The Flaminia has a wider track than the Aurelia, but its wheelbase is almost the same. One can expect from it a high degree of comfort and stability, and the makers claim a maximum speed of almost 100 m.p.h. Very high-grade workmanship is manifest throughout the Flaminia, by no means a cheap car.
A much improved line is used for the coachwork of the second series Appia, making the car even more attractive to the discriminating customers whom the Lancia company always attracts by its products. The 1,090 c.c. vee-four engine has hemispherical combustion chambers fed by a larger carburettor. Power is increased from 38 to 43.5 b.h.p. The maximum speed is said to have been increased from 75 to 80 m.p.h., and acceleration is better in the lower ranges. The brakes have been improved, and a new linkage is used for the steering.
The Series II Aurelia will not be seen at the Show this year because demand in Italy makes it unavailable on the British market. The famous Gran Turismo Aurelia appears again, however, with a slightly changed appearance. Engine modifications provide more torque at low speeds, at the cost of a slight reduction in the overall maximum speed to the still formidable figure of 110 m.p.h. There is now more passenger space in the rear.
(London report)
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Druga seria Appii ma podwyższoną linię bagażnika, a tym samym sylwetkę 3-bryłową.
Piąta seria Aurelii B20 GT ma silnik o nieco mniejszej mocy ale stała się samochodem zdecydowanie bardziej luksusowym.
Budowany przez Pinin Farinę spider B24 został przekształcony w kabriolet. Zmieniono prawie wszystko: błotniki, drzwi, przednią szybę, zderzaki, ale sylwetka pozostała tak samo fascynująca.
Po premierze pięknego sedana Florida projektu Pinin Fariny, na salonie w Turynie zaprezentowano następczynię Aurelii – Flaminię.
At the Geneva Motor Show in March 1956 the second series Appia saloon was introduced with 3 centimetres (1.2 in) longer wheelbase and a modernized body (new rounded tail with fins) and mechanics (43.5 hp 128 km / h) and also has a much better finish.
Coupé Zagato was exposed at the Turin Motor Show in April. It immediately get a nickname 'camel' from it's two humps on the roof. 
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