Straight from the You-Don’t-See-One-Of-These-Everyday department, this 1958 Lancia Appia sedan conjures images of Sophia Loren and Italian countrysides. Located in Burbank, California and seen here on eBay, this little suicide-door sedan has a modest BIN of $3,000 and the owner is accepting offers.
The Appia was introduced in 1953 as a smaller, all-purpose vehicle and remained in production for 10 years. Lancias of this era shared a unique sliding pillar front suspension and a ridiculously narrow V4 engine. About 8,000 Appias were built in 1958. As Lancia never really penetrated the US market, how this one ended up in Burbank is unknown, but the black plates and relatively dry condition likely means it has been there for a very long time.
Here is the (currently not running) V4 powerplant. At a little over 10°, this was the narrowest angle of any V4 engine, and featured dual in-block camshafts in place of more expensive overhead cams. Some intake parts appear missing here, but it’s hard to tell definitively with all of the dust. There is a small box of random parts in the trunk.
The interior is largely roasted, although the dash appears complete with the exception of the center nameplate. I believe there is a 4-speed gearbox at the other end of the column-mounted shift lever.
The seller provides a good variety of photos to demonstrate the relative lack of rust. Here we see some scaly stuff on the trunk lid, but no major swiss cheese. That is consistent with most areas on the car. The seller mentions “The car is mostly intact, not missing any glass and other major exterior trim”. Some spare parts are also viewable here.
Obviously a significant project, the seller seems to acknowledge the niche appeal of the car by stating “if you’re looking at this car, you already know what it is, so I’ll dispel with the technical and historical highlights.” The coachbuilt Appia coupes and convertibles (particularly those from Zagato) bring astronomical prices today. And while this little sedan is far from that orbit, it could be an affordable fun project. What do you think…or as Sophia would say, che cosa ne pensi?
Beautiful, like a 2/3 scale ’50 Ford from the rear, but a charm all its own. More fun than ten MGBs and ten times rarer than a Morgan. Che bella macchina!
What do I think? I think this absolutely delightful little car is an absolute snip at the asking price. I only wish I were not so damn old and had the energy and the required funding. Alas, I am and I don’t.
I want it! It is exactly what I’m looking for. How much would it cost to ship it to Spain? Anyone know?
A little Italian car with Pizza on the license plate.
Sometimes California is funny.
Hey, if anyone buys it to hotrod it, I want to buy the engine for my bicycle!!
I know that car! It’s been hanging out at the shop I take the Alfas to, Alfa Italia, for at least a year now. The cosmetics here are almost as daunting as the prospect of getting into that tiny and complex V4; I’ve never talked to the guys about it because I had it figured as a semi-stalled project, so it was a shock to see it here.
I know that some Appias made it to California – I used to see a very nice blue example of the model following this parked on the street in Sonora ca. 1970 – and of course in the Fifties some dealer somewhere in California was selling any European car you might want. Or not.
Affordable? Well, yes, as long as you remember the old-car pro’s advice: The price you pay is just the price of admission. Having not only been to that movie but starred in some minor ones, I need to let someone else play with this one. That, and I like being married …
This is potentially a great car, but you better have very deep pockets to buy what you need to br it back! However the profit in the end if resold would be very big!
I shipped an MG Midget for 750 dollars with Schumacher into Valencia. Get them to do the import documentation – its a bugger otherwise.
Richard in Crevillent, Alicante
Thanks Richard, I’ll check with them.