Description A pleasingly original and nicely patinated example of this top quality sporting saloon; driven to the sale; lots to like The Lancia Appia was introduced in 1953 as a replacement for the ageing Ardea which dated from before the war.

The new Appia had a larger 1,090cc version of Lancia’s characteristic V4 engine but in a clean-sheet design by Vittorio Jano which borrowed elements from the sensational Aurelia.

The new engine was coupled to a four-speed gearbox with rear-wheel drive.

The independent sliding pillar front suspension and pillarless doors were a long-standing Lancia tradition which also carried over to the Appia.

The car was beautifully made, as were all Lancias at the time ('the thinking man's Alfa Romeo') but quality costs and a high price tag compared to a rival Fiat or Alfa's new Giulietta meant initial sales were slow.

Good reviews and a succession of detailed improvements made the Appia increasingly appealing, and sales soon improved.

In Third Series fo...