1938 Lancia Astura Mille Miglia Sport

The Lancia Astura was a car produced by the Turin-based company from 1931 to 1939. In the early 1930s, Lancia's latest model was the large Dilambda (released in 1929), while the Lambda, which had been in production for nearly a decade, was due for replacement. The Dilambda featured a V8 engine with a 4-liter displacement, whereas the Lambda, which originally had a 2.1-liter engine, reached over 2.5 liters in its final series. Although the Dilambda maintained its prominent position, Lancia decided to replace the Lambda with two new models aimed at different customers: the Artena, a 4-cylinder car with less than 2 liters of displacement, and the Astura, with a 2.6-liter V8 engine. The two new models were largely differentiated by their engines, but they also had different wheelbases: the Artena had a wheelbase of 299 cm, while the Astura had a 19 cm longer wheelbase to accommodate the larger V8 engine. Unlike previous Lancia models, the Astura took its name from a historic castle near the Roman city of Nettuno. Its V8 engine, with a 19° angle between the banks, was a simplified and downsized version of the Dilambda engine, featuring a displacement of 2606 cc and producing 72 hp at 4000 rpm. In addition to the cast iron engine block, triple chain-driven distribution, and self-cleaning oil filter, the most notable feature of the engine was its unique two-piece cylinder head: the lower part (in cast iron) housed the valves, while the upper part (in aluminum) contained the rocker arms and their shaft, with the central camshaft rotating between the two heads. The water-based cooling system was borrowed from the Artena and included a thermostat-controlled throttling system. The Astura also shared the centralized lubrication system with the Artena. Moving away from the unitary body construction of the Lambda, both the Astura and Artena used a frame composed of two vertical boxed sections, reinforced by an X-shaped brace, with side members that slightly converged at the front. Two longitudinal round tubes branched from a cross brace and were integrated into the ends of the side members. The suspension system was a mixed setup: at the front, Lancia’s classic design was used (though without the diagonal braces that in the Lambda had connected the radiator frame to the suspension cylinders, now unnecessary thanks to improved rigidity), while the rear had a conventional live axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and Siata friction shock absorbers. Powered by a Zenith double-barrel carburetor, the Astura delivered excellent performance thanks to its favorable weight-to-power ratio, with the chassis weighing just under a ton (960 kg). Even the sedan version weighed only 1,250 kilograms, allowing for a top speed of around 125 km/h. While Lancia produced a sedan version (available with 4 windows and 4-5 seats, or 6 windows and 6-7 seats), the Astura became the queen of custom-built cars of its time. Nearly all Italian coachbuilders, as well as many international ones, created special editions. Notable names include Bertone, Boneschi, Borsani, Brianza, Castagna, Colli, Garavini, Ghia, Stabilimenti Farina, Touring, and Viotti, as well as international coachbuilders such as Weinberger & Buhne, John Charles, Abbott, and Kevill Davies & March. For example, a cabriolet version by Pininfarina presented in the 1936 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegancewon again in 2016, many years later. Another cabriolet version by Stabilimenti Farina won the Concours d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in 1947, although it did not reach mass production. First introduced at the Paris Motor Show in October 1931, the Astura underwent minor revisions after about a year (second series). In 1933, with the third series, more significant changes were made: the chassis was offered in two different wheelbase lengths, engine displacement increased (from 2.6 to 3 liters), power improved by about 10 HP, and the braking system received updates. Further significant changes to the chassis were introduced in 1937 with the fourth series, which effectively replaced the discontinued Dilambda. The chassis of this series was often used for official government vehicles, mostly designed by Boneschi and Pininfarina, sometimes with monumental proportions. The engine of the final series of the Astura also served as the basis for the Lince armored car, sometimes referred to as the Astura armored car. A total of 2,912 Astura units were built.

Although it was created to be the Lancia luxurious flagship car, the Astura was often raced by private drivers. With the introduction of the Sport Nazionale category, Lurani and Minetti’s Scuderia Ambrosiana, behind which there was probably Lancia itself, prepared an Astura in compliance with the dictates of the AlACR’s attachment C. The car shown in the Museum Nicolis was prepared in 1939 by Carrozzeria Colli, by order of the Milanese Scuderia Ambrosiana, for one of the Scuderia top drivers: Luigi Villoresi. The car, whose engine gave 110 bhp compared with 82 bhp of the series version thanks to an experimental hemispheric cylinder head similar to the one of the new Aprilia, was entered to the 1940 Mille Miglia, but unfortunately Gigi Villoresi had a road accident during the running in of the car and so he could not participate in the race. In the post-war years, this car was raced by several Italian drivers, among whom Franco Cortese who gained the highest success, before being sold to the English drivers John Gordon and David Lewis who drove it at 1948 Mille Miglia, 1948 Grand Prix International 24 Heures Spa and 1949 Mille Miglia.

Ended its race career, the car was used for much less noble actions: the smuggling of precious watches from Switzerland to Italy. Seized by the Swiss police, for many years the Astura remained forgotten in a warehouse, where it was rediscovered by Luciano Nicolis who brought it to Italy and had it restored in order to proudly use it at the most prestigious classic car events.