Lancia, 1954, Appia I° serie

Lancia Appia “1 serie", 1954

The heir of the Ardea, the new “little” Lancia Appia was presented at the 1953 Turin Motor Show. The head valve distribution was controlled by two camshafts. Fed by a Solex carburetor, the engine produced 38 bhp, which gave the new sedan higher performance than its main competitor, the Fiat 1100/103.
The body recalls the style of its older sister, the Aurelia, with rear-hinged doors and no B-pillar. The car was carefully finished, with the quality of a higher-class car. In those years there was a boom for small cars which marked the emancipation of the working class, now freed from the wartime restrictions. In this context, the Appia was an arrival point for the up-coming middle-class that wanted to be distinguished and saw Lancias as classy cars with high performance.
In 1955 the Appia Mk.I was replaced, but the model remained in production, followed by two series, until 1963; the Zagato bodied sports versions won many races in the 1100 class.