AutoItalia – July 2019

the little 1196cc lump is a doughty worker, possessed
of surprising flexibility and admirably smooth power
delivery. There isn’t a huge amount to deliver, of
course, even with the Weber carb (which presumably
boosts the standard-issue 35bhp a tad); but it’s
sufficient to keep the little cabriolet cruising at a
perfectly respectable rate of knots.
While it is doing so, you are experiencing a
surprisingly ‘modern’ ride. Even with the open
coachwork, that exceptional structural stiffness is
evident whilst the (unmistakeably) sliding-pillar- sprung
front end and the ‘live-and-leaf’ rear between them
provide a pleasing degree of compliance. In typical
vintage style, there’s very little roll, but neither is it
noticeably stiff. The steering is very direct, with no free
play on the wheel. At parking speeds, it’s like any other
85-year old car – bloody hard work; but on the go it’s all
you could ask for in terms of finesse and feedback.
And it guides the front end, on its Michelin X taxi tyres,

into corners with pleasing precision.

And when the weather gods decided to vent their

collective spleen – or rather, their bladder – on us

towards the end of our drive, we were able to put

Doug’s assertion about the Lancia’s year-round

suitability to the test. With the windows wound up

and the tight-fitting hood in place (a quick, easy job)

the cabriolet was transformed into a very cosy

saloon, così così...

Pre-war motoring is a whole different world. You

expect less, but get much, much more. It sharpens up

your visual and aural receptors, fine-tunes your inputs

and retunes your psyche. Suddenly, the world becomes

a less frenetic place where, for a while, smartphones

and tablets (not to mention squabbling politicians and

Brexit) seem somehow much less important and

demanding of your attention. And these days, that’s

worth even more than a good butler and a well-ordered

household. Viva Lancia! III

ENGINE: 1196cc, 18º V4 SOHC

BORE X STROKE: 69.85mm x 78mm

COMPRESSION RATIO: 5.45:1

POWER: 35hp @ 4000rpm

CARBURETTOR: Weber 30DO (see text)

TRANSMISSION: 4-speed manual, rear-wheel drive

SUSPENSION: Independent, sliding pillars (front)

Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs

(rear)

BRAKES: Lockheed hydraulic drums

TYRES: Michelin X 5.75-16

DIMENSIONS: 3995mm (L), 1650mm (W), 1280mm (H)

MAX SPEED: 70mph

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LANCIA AUGUSTA CABRIOLET

1189cc V4 engine may only

have 35hp but it’s enough

to keep the Augusta

motoring comfortably