26 Oct 06
Lancia Lambda
The breakthrough model was the 1922 Lambda. One of the first cars to mark a significant transition from the old horseless carriage-style design, it pioneered independent front suspension, a unitary chassis-body structure with built-in luggage compartment, and a transmission tunnel incorporated into the floor.
The Astura, from 1931, brought flexible engine mountings and a large reduction in vibration and noise. These saloon models, as well as the entry-level V4 Artena from 1931, all featured a clamshell-opening door structure without a central pillar, made possible by their rigid structure.
The Augusta from 1933 was the first saloon with a full monocoque construction.
Just as Mercedes and Volvo are now, Lancia was once very successful in the bus and truck market.
The first lorry appeared in 1911 and went off to fight in Italy's war in Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). Lancia trucks did the humping for Italy in World War One and the export of commercials with names like Trijota, Tetrajota and Eptajota boosted Lancia's finances.
Exported Omicron buses ran the demanding route across the Sahara between Algeria and French Sudan, and Lancia claims that some of these buses are still on the roads. Only when Fiat rescued the collapsing company in 1969 did bus and truck production finally come to a halt.
