Lancia Belna

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In production from 1933 to 1936, the Augusta was Lancia’s small car offering and was available as a four-door saloon or two-door cabriolet.

Sold alongside the larger Astura, Dilambda and Artena models, it had a V4 engine that displaced 1,196cc and produced 35bhp, giving the car a top speed of 65mph. This modest output and top-speed rather belied the superb performance delivery, made all the more usable thanks to a raft of advanced features which included fully independent front suspension with concentric springs and oil-filled shock absorbers. They were a revelation to drive.

Exquisitely engineered in the finest Lancia tradition, it appealed to a class of driver who valued finesse, lightness and balance above mere brute power. Tazio Nuvolari was a fan, which spoke volumes of the car’s willingness and balanced handling, attributes which were to be found in all Lancias of the period.

They were never cheap to buy and were made under licence in France to avoid local taxes and sold as the Belna. Assembled from factory kits of parts from Italy, these Belnas used locally sourced engine blocks to comply with local content rules, production totalling some 3,000 units between 1934 and 1938.

Pretty well Indistinguishable from their Italian Augusta counterparts, they are equally as highly regarded today and offer the same degree of comfort, road holding and flair whichever Lancia plant they emanated from.

This lovely example was imported from Holland relatively recently and will come with its Dutch papers and a NOVA number to assist with its registration.

Clearly the subject of a quality restoration, it has been part of a significant UK collection of Lancias of late and has not seen much use so will require some care before firing up once more.