Lancia Appia (1953-1963): Do you remember?

Four doors without a B-pillar existed long before the Ford B-Max and Mazda RX-8

lancia_appia_3

By: Roland Hildebrandt

Published by: Brian Potter

Dec 16, 2023 at 1:00am ET

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No offence is meant, but most classic car enthusiasts think in mainstream terms. German brands are popular, from Italy perhaps various Alfa Romeos, Ferraris or the Fiat 500, but Lancia? At most, it's still in demand when it comes to rally icons like the Stratos or Delta HF Integrale.

So it's all the better for one's own horizons (I'm not excluding myself) when you suddenly see a little-known saloon at the "Retro Classics Bavaria" classic car fair in Nuremberg. Beautifully shaped, built in 1963 and without a B-pillar. Allow me: Lancia Appia. The model, just 3.86 metres long, was launched 70 years ago.

Gallery: Lancia Appia (1953-1963)

Lancia Appia (1953-1963)

The Appia (named after a Roman long-distance transport route) inherited the Ardea model in April 1953. This Lancia already had no B-pillar, which also ensured that the two sofa-like bench seats in the Appia were spacious. Massive pivots lock the doors; at the time, the Lancia brand was regarded as the "Italian Mercedes" in terms of quality. Reinforced A and C pillars, stiffeners at the rear and a high centre tunnel compensated for the missing B pillar.

This was also reflected in the price: the Appia was significantly more expensive than a Fiat 1100 of the same size, without offering more power. The first series of the saloon had 37 bhp, the last versions 47 bhp. From a V4 with a displacement of 1.1 litres and overhead camshafts. Wim Oude Weernink speaks of "quite lively driving performance" in his Lancia bible.

Lancia Appia (1953-1963)

Lancia Appia Autolettiga C86S

The first series in particular combined the curved pre-war rear end with a modern front end. In direct comparison, the Appia looked like a scaled-down Aurelia. The rather high price was also due to the fact that large parts of the body were made of aluminium. At least in the first Appia series, which was built until 1956 and weighed only 820 kilograms.

The Appia then almost mutated visually into a different car, as it now had a classic notchback. The engine was also modified with new cylinder heads, and there was also a new dashboard with two round instruments. The typical Lancia badge on the front remained.

Lancia Appia (1953-1963)

Lancia Appia Berlina (second series)

This part changed from 1959 with the third and last Appia series. Now there was a classic grille as a family resemblance to the new models such as the Flavia and Flaminia. It is said that the new Lancia owner Carlo Pesenti, the head of the Italcementi Group, had insisted on this.

Lancia Appia (1953-1963)

Lancia Appia Berlina (1963) at the Retro Classics Bavaria 2023

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And the construction tycoon had a good nose: over 55,000 of the 97,000 Appia cars built in total were in the third series, which was replaced by the new Fulvia in 1963. Despite the 1.1-litre engine, which always remained the same, there were sporty variants with up to 59 bhp and a chic design: Coupé 2+2 by Pininfarina, Cabriolet, Berlinette Zagato, Appia Lusso by Vignale, but also the estate-like Giardinetta, which was created by Viotti. Exactly 5,161 of these derivatives were built, including only 300 Giardinettes.

Lancia Appia (1953-1963)

Lancia Appia Coupé 2+2 Pininfarina

The Appia saloon of the second series proved to be very reliable in the endurance test of the Italian magazine Quattroruote and completed 160,000 km (99,419 miles) without any major problems. This Lancia can therefore still be considered an insider tip today, especially as the Berlina, as the saloon is known in Italy, is not very expensive. The patinated but solid-looking trade fair specimen should cost €5,900 (approx. £5,100). Or wait for the comeback of the Lancia brand: the new Ypsilon will be presented in February 2024.