1954 Lancia Appia Saloon, Registration no. YYJ 296 Chassis no. C.10 8004

* Series I model
* Right-hand drive
* First registered in the UK in 1994
* An older restoration
* Last MoT'd circa 2011

The Lancia tradition of innovation in automotive technology was exemplified by the Appia's ultra-compact engine: a narrow-angle (10 degrees), 1,089cc V4 whose inclined overhead-valves were set in hemispherical combustion chambers and operated by twin, block-mounted camshafts. The unitary chassis construction adopted on the pre-war Aprilia was, naturally enough, continued, as was Lancia's traditional sliding-pillar independent front suspension. Body styling was similar to that of the bigger Aurelia, and Series I cars featured aluminium doors, wings, and bumpers. In a tradition inaugurated by the pre-war Augusta, the front doors were hinged forwards, the rears aft, and there was no central pillar.

'Notchback'-styled Series II cars came with a lengthened wheelbase and more power (up from 38 to 43bhp) while the final (third) series boasted further styling revisions and 48bhp.

A Series I model first registered in the UK in 1994, this Appia saloon is of right-hand drive configuration like the majority of Lancias manufactured up to the mid-1960s. Lancia's reasoning was that this made for safer progress on Alpine passes, as it was easier for the driver to see the edge of the road (falling off the edge was considered a greater danger than head-on collisions). The chassis code was C10 for right-hand drive cars and C10S (S = Sinistra, Italian for left) for the optional left-hand drive version.

First registered in the UK in 1994 and acquired by Brin that same year, this well presented example was running well when driven into storage. Accompanying documentation consists of a V5C Registration Certificate, SORN (November 2015), and a quantity of MoTs (most recent expired 2011). We are advised that the brakes require attention, and further re-commissioning may be required before the car returns to the road.