Lancia Fancier Latest news from teh Lancia Motor Club

Official Journal of the Lancia Motor Club of NSW, Inc.
P.O. Box 350, Northbridge, NSW 1560, Australia
ABN 88 046 781 824
Australia Post registered publication NBG 1255
IN THIS ISSUE
Forthcoming Events
2
President’s report
3
Social Secretary’s Report
4
LMC Display Day
6
Family Fun Day Display – Asquith Boys High School
7
The Sad Tale of Three Lancia Leaves – Part II
8
Coppa D’Oro 2014
14
Eiffel Rallye Festival 2014
15
Pebble Beach Tour D’Elegance 2014
16
Shannon’s Sydney Classic – Eastern Creek 2014
17
Recent Auctions
17
For Sale/Wanted
18
The Last Word...
20
NEXT CLUB MEETING
When: Monday 13th October 2014
Where: The home of Tony and Jan Ward, 11 Maxwell St Turramurra.
Please arrive from 7.30 pm and don’t forget to bring a supper plate.
Please note the change to our usual format of the first Monday of the month.
Disclaimer
The views expressed herein are those of the correspondent. They do not necessarily represent the views of the
Lancia Motor Club of NSW Inc., the Committee members or any officer of the Club.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
26TH October – Norton St Festa Leichhardt – a celebration with an Italian slant. One of the largest
community events in Australia with stalls lining iconic Norton Street in Leichhardt together with a large
display of Italian cars and motorcycles in Pioneers Memorial Park. This event was one of the best new
events of the year in 2013 and offers something for everyone. We will have a terrific display of Lancias in
a lovely parkland setting with a plethora of options for lunch. Polish up your car and plan to be there.
Enter the park via Derbyshire Rd from 8.00 am with our location being the same as last year’s event.
31st October – 2nd November – LMC of NSW 50 year Anniversary Rally Mudgee 2014 – this will be
our major event of the year. We will be staying at the Parklands Resort, Ulan Rd Mudgee and will enjoy
our usual rally weekend of fun, food and scenery. Entry forms are attached to this copy of the Fancier.
Please do your best to attend, in this, our 50th anniversary year.
We are planning a run from Sydney to Mudgee via Bathurst and Hill End on the Friday of the Rally. The
roads are fantastic with some great scenery along the way. Please join us if you can. Details will be
included in your entry welcome letter.
1st December LMC Meeting & AGM – at the home of Brian and Shiela Wilson, 63 Brown Street
Forestville. This meeting will also be our AGM, so please do your best to attend and please bring along
some Christmas treats for all to enjoy
6th December – End of Year Breakfast at Cucina Visconti Wentworth Point – following on from the
success of last year’s breakfast we thought this could become an annual event. Location is 21 Bennelong
Rd and the event will be held in conjunction with the Fiat Club’s “Cars and Coffee” breakfast. We had a
broad display of Lancias last year and the food was excellent. Please arrive from 08.30 am. Numbers are
required, so please let Tony K know if you are coming
HCCR Plate Events – the following have been designated as Lancia Motor Club of NSW Concessional
Registration Scheme events for 2014
Fiat Club of NSW Coffee Club on the first Saturday of each month at Cucina Visconti, Wentworth Point
VSCCA – first Wednesday of the month - lunch at the Pie in the Sky Café Cowan
VSCCA – third Wednesday of the month – lunch at the Terry Hills Tavern.
For more information on these events, please contact the Club Social Secretary, John Pagan (9412 2501)
LANCIA MOTOR CLUB COMMITTEE 2014
Name
Position
Landline
Email
Tony Kovacevic
President
(02) 9541 0156
[email protected]
Tony Kovacevic
Secretary
(02) 9541 0156
[email protected]
Ross Milner
Treasurer
(02) 9809 5882
[email protected]
John Pagan
Social Secretary
(02) 9412 2501
[email protected]
David Lowe
Librarian
(02) 9498 5194
[email protected]
Hannes Swaton
Registrar
(02) 9357 6854
[email protected]
Tony O’Donnell
CMC Delegate
(02) 9412 3004
[email protected]
Danny Wilson
Editor
(02) 6373 3931
[email protected] AND/OR
[email protected]
PRESIDENT’S REPORT – TONY KOVACEVIC
My thanks to Ian and Pip Openshaw and Family
for hosting our August meeting. It was a cool
night, but Ian’s heated garage and home made
the evening very enjoyable.
Speaking of Ian’s garage, those that were there
were impressed by Ian’s work on the continuing
restoration of his Flaminia GT. Despite some
major fabrication and bodywork requirements,
Ian is making steady progress and deserves a
special commendation for the effort he is
making in bring such a rare Lancia back to life.
While on the subject of member’s cars, Tony
and Valerie Caldersmith have decided that one
Fulvia Sport was not enough. Following the sale
of their Flaminia PF Coupe, they have purchased
a sister Sport in red, to keep their silver car
company. Congratulations Tony and Valerie for
your “His” and ‘Hers” Fulvia Sports.
The Shannons Sydney Classic at Eastern Creek
was more like an aquatic show than a car show,
with torrential rain severely impacting on
numbers attending and making the morning, a
test of endurance. 4 LMC members attended,
your pres in his Beta Berlina, the Ward’s with
their Gamma coupe, Ken Palmer with his
mighty Aurelia B20 and Lyall Price, who
deserves a special award for braving the elements
in his Aurelia B24 convertible. Lyall even took
the long way, driving to Eastern Creek via
Sydney Airport! Demonstrating the quality of his
Lancia, the interior of Lyall’s convertible,
showed minimal water intrusion. Please see
Tony Ward’s photos of the day to gauge how
much water was flowing around.
Rain also affected our Display Day, with the
original date cancelled due to rain.
Unfortunately, the alternate rain date selected,
clashed with the Asquith High School show, so
our club members were split between 2 events.
Nonetheless, we had a reasonable showing of
cars at each, with the perfect weather, making
for an enjoyable day.
At Undercliff, around 14 cars were on display,
showcasing a wide range of cars. Some visitors
were very surprised to learn that the cars were
fitted with inline 4 cylinder, flat 4, V4 and V6
engines! Of note, was the appearance of the ex
John Pagan/Len Shadwick Fulvia Coupe,
looking lovely as ever, now owned by Colin
Gunter.
The end of October heralds our 50 year
anniversary rally in Mudgee. To say that Ross
and I have had a few setbacks in organising the
weekend, would be an understatement. The
lateness of providing entry forms is a result of
this situation, so our apologies. Nonetheless, life
and Lancia Rallies go on and we are sure that an
enjoyable weekend will be had by all who attend.
Here are some details:A welcome barbecue dinner will be held on the
Friday Night, an excellent opportunity to catch
up with the fellow entrants. Following breakfast
on Saturday, something different to our usual
format will take place. The cars will be put on
display at a market held in the grounds of the
local Anglican Church, allowing everyone to
enjoy a relaxing morning in Mudgee, with lunch
to be held at a local Bakery. Following lunch,
your afternoon will be free to visit local wineries
or if you would prefer a drive in your Lancia,
one is being arranged.
Our Rally dinner will be held at our hotel on
Saturday evening, with Life Member, Ken
Palmer, as our guest of honour. Following
breakfast on Sunday, a run will be held, followed
by lunch at a local winery and horse stud,
following which, the rally will conclude. For
those staying on in Mudgee, a Buffet dinner will
be on offer at the hotel or you may wish to enjoy
another dining option.
As stated previously in this newsletter, entry
forms are now available. For any information on
hotel bookings/meals, please contact Ross
Milner and for any other information, contact
me. Please do your best to attend and enjoy the
company and your Lancia.
SOCIAL SECRETARY’S REPORT – JOHN PAGAN
Report on WinterSun 2014
It was time we did the WinterSun again after
missing a few years, and to make the most of the
trip north, we booked for the follow-on Giro di
Nord as well.
So I packed up the B10 and with Gina and her
mother Jocelyn left Sydney against the flow of
the Thursday morning peak-hour traffic. This
time I was going to take it easy, up the Newcastle
and Hunter freeways to the New England
Highway. At around 100km/h the B10 is
relaxed and comfortable, but somehow still
engaging, with enough in hand to take most
main-road hills in top gear. It’s not like driving a
modern car, when the posted speed limit seems
so slow you feel bound to keep up to it.
With just one comfort stop for me on the way,
we were just parking outside our favourite café
in Scone for lunch when hailed by William
Zuccon, with his wife Dana and son Xavier in a
large white four-wheel-drive. So we exchanged
gossip, and I undertook to explain to John and
Thel Sharp when I caught up with them why
some large white vehicle had been waving
frantically at them on the freeway.
A frosty overnight stay in Uralla (about 20km
short of Armidale) meant the car was slow to
start in the morning, but it’s a good road once
you’re warmed up and going. We picked up a
box of apples and pears at an orchard in
Stanthorpe, which kept us going till a late lunch
in Warwick. The Allan’s Beta and the Longs’
Flavia were just leaving town as we arrived.
WinterSun was based in Boonah (no, I hadn’t
heard of it either, but it’s a major centre – well,
not that major; it has one petrol station – in the
Scenic Rim district in south-east Queensland).
The area semi-enclosed by the Rim of mountains
is a caldera: as a result of huge-scale volcanic
activity 25-30 million years ago, so much magma
had erupted that the surface collapsed into the
empty chamber. What we see is rich red and
black soils, steep mountainsides and, where it
hasn’t been cleared, temperate rainforest.
We stayed in the Boonah Valley Motel: very
comfortable lodge-style accommodation on the
edge of town, with the owner’s horses and
assorted wildlife grazing up to the terraces and
decks. About twenty cars had arrived by Friday
evening, including from NSW the Palmers’
Aurelia B20, the Cohens and Poates in Flavia
coupés, the Sharps and Jim White in Fulvia
coupés and the Wards’ Gamma coupé.
Jo and Paul Doumany led us on two day tours of
the district: spectacular scenery, quaint localities,
historic relics, pubs and wineries, with good food
and plenty of it. Sunday morning’s drive to the
top of the Rim at Carrs Lookout was particularly
challenging – the B10 just made it up the two
steepest pitches and the café there provided
welcome shelter from a stiff wind. Dave White
used the descent to discover a weakness in the
Fulvia’s brakes, fortunately with no damage
done.
Brian Long’s brake booster was
misbehaving and he subsequently had the Flavia
trucked home to Melbourne at minimal expense
(including replacement car hire) courtesy of his
breakdown service.
Between wine-tasting and drinks before dinner,
the blokes managed to fit in a trip to Grahame
Ward’s sheds at Boonah, an Aladdin’s cave of
Lancia parts, cars and derelict items to which
order is progressively being restored.
We said goodbye to half on Sunday
night/Monday morning and a lucky ten cars set
off on the Giro di Nord Quattro: three more
days of similarly relaxed scenic touring on – if
possible – even more convoluted roads.
We spent one night in Binna Burra Mountain
Lodge in Lamington National Park, one at the
Peppers Salt resort at Kingscliff and one in a
motel at Casino. Each day’s driving of about 90
miles, with as many stops as you liked for
morning tea, lunch, wine tasting, souvenir
hunting, etc., was just enough to sharpen the
appetite for a few drinks and a proper dinner.
A highlight for the blokes was the morning-tea
stop at Paul and Jo’s house at Lower Beechmont:
a large shed contained about a dozen Lancias; so
only a fraction of the Doumany collection, but
much to admire. In particular his Flaminia
Pininfarina coupé – coming together beautifully
– was the focus of detailed exposition and
interrogation.
After a week of hustling the laden B10 around
twisty back roads, it was a pleasant change to
take the Bruxner and New England Highways
home: an easy two days at highway cruising
speed.
On their way home, Alan and Shellagh
Hornsby’s Pf Flaminia (recently acquired from
Bruce Lindsay) had the good sense to choose
Tamworth to disclose a growling water pump.
With some complicated troop movements
involving Terry Cohen’s help, they were able to
truck the car home and catch a lift with the
Longs in their capacious rent-a-car.
I recommend the WinterSun and Giro to those
of you who haven’t tried it – our Queensland
colleagues will give you a generous welcome and
I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.
A high point of a different sort was available at
Nimbin, the commercial centre of hippie culture,
where we enjoyed the sights and smells and the
biggest salad lunch I’ve ever seen. Our farewell
dinner that night was at the Steak Barn next to
the motel, and it too specialised in big, but with
the focus on meat. The “Texas steak” covered
the whole of a large plate. Your gluttonous
scribe hadn’t even heard of a veal shank, and
couldn’t believe it would weigh 1.5kg as the
menu promised, so he had to order it … Gina
was so ashamed of me she went to sit at the
other end of the table. You will be relieved to
know that although it tasted pretty good I didn’t
feel the need to finish it.
John Pagan
LMC DISPLAY DAY
FAMILY FUN DAY DISPLAY – ASQUITH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL
Just two Lancia cars at the concourse at the
Community Fun Day at ABHS. Tony and Val
Caldersmith's Fulvia 1.3S Zagato plus Jan and
Tony Ward's Gamma 2.5 Pininfarina coupe.
Brian and Sheila Wilson arrived in their very
vintage Alvis which created quite a deal of
interest. However, there were plenty of
immaculate Jaguar cars, about 30 in all, which
made for a pretty special display of 50 cars.
Submitted by Tony Ward
THE SAD TALE OF THE THREE LAMBDA LEAVES – PART II
W.H.Smith March 2014 Edited by P.Renou
Rear Leaf springs –Lambda
One of the springs in Richard Heher’s car was so
butchered that the spring behaved like a conventional
soft leaf spring, when the spring was repaired (reset
and repositioned springs and new rollers) the ability
to resist brake torque returned. The ‘butchering’ of
the spring, consisted of reversing two of the top 3
leaves and reversing the camber on the other by
applying an oxy touch. However, and this is critical, I
believe an unmolested, current Lambda spring
has still lost significant torsional resistance due
to wear between the leaves. In addition the spring
clips with a roller made from a close wound spring
steel wire have worn out. See Photo2. As the leaf
spring segments wear and the spring roller wears, a
large gap opens up between the spring roller and the
leaf spring pieces. This gap has to be taken up during
twisting before there is any significant torque
reaction from the main body of spring leaves. It is
odd that the Lambda parts books do not list the
spring wire roller, bolt or a locking mechanism for
the bolt. But there is ample evidence that such
devices were used as there are tell-tale marks on the
spring leaves, certainly on all the springs I have
viewed.
new spring rollers and clamp bolts and short spring
steel leaves to take up the wear of 80+ years of use.
Again the front brakes got significantly hotter
without brake adjustment, the pedal pressure
reduced, but after a few hours of highway travel, it
became obvious that the handling of my car had
improved. I had always been critical of my cars
tendency to ‘roll steer’ as you started to explore faster
cornering speeds. It appears that reducing the gaps in
the two spring clips reduces the leaf springs ability to
twist/deflect in a lateral direction during cornering.
In short the car is now returning closer to its original
specification and performance. I now offer a kit of
parts (both early and late series) to repair some of the
wear; it is in shim form as the gaps to be filled are
highly variable. The new spring rollers and leaf spring
plates come in different sizes to form the shim pack.
See
photo
3
below.
When the leaf springs and rollers were replaced and
the axle housing welded, a surprising thing happened.
The front brakes were a lot hotter, without any
adjustment to the static brake balance. The brakes
used less pedal pressure for the same stopping
power. This is entirely due to the rear springs
behaving more like they were intended and the front
and rear cables remained closer to their static setting
when under load. The windup in the rear springs did
not ‘shorten’ the rear cables as much as when the rear
springs were softer in torsion.
The rear springs on my own car and Alan Shepherd’s
were both modified (with new spring roller clips) just
before the 2011 Castlemaine Rally. This consisted of
It is important to note that I do not believe we can
get back to the original specification in terms of
braking performance and suspension handling until
the total leaf spring pack is replaced. My kit is
therefore a patch that improves but does not totally
restore the original performance. Many examples of
these rear springs have worn down by a total of 5mm
in depth over the years. The ability of a leaf spring to
resist brake torque is a function of the total depth of
the spring pack to the third power, which suggests a
5mm reduction in depth, gives an approximate 27%
reduction. This 27% reduction is, of course, after the
shim pack is applied to eliminate any gap. Replacing a
complete spring pack is going to be very expensive,
at least in Australia. I had a quote to make 2 off of
one leaf for the late series at $500 each. This is due to
the very thin section of the leaf spring (5mm) and the
tapering and elliptical rounding. This was a late series
th
spring leaf, 5 from the top, which is based on metric
steel stock sizes but the thinnest stock available in
Australia is 6mm. It could be that other steel sources
can be found in other countries but it seems that leaf
springs fitted today are very poor cousins to the
sophisticated springs from the ‘good old days’. If
anyone is interested look under a modern Ute/SUV
with leaf springs, the Australian (US based) and
Japanese units look bad in comparison to the
Lambda, then take a look at a Chinese vehicle, they
are simply appalling. Talk about dumming down an
old technology. A blind 1800s blacksmith would find
it difficult to make a worse spring. It is not surprising
that leaf spring makers in Australia are very busy
making replacement leaves for this ute/SUV market,
at the same time many Lambdas and other vintage
cars are still running on their original leaves.11
Adjusting Lambda brakes
I will write a separate article on this subject as I
believe there is a way to improve the braking even
with worn rear spring leaves. In addition this future
article will cover suggestions on stiffening the early
series firewall bulkhead and the lubrication of the
rear brake cable pulleys both items I believe, will
enhance braking setting and performance.
Lambda, an integrated design.
Whilst this article is primarily involved with the
braking system of the Lambda, I believe the
functionality of the brakes cannot be separated from
the whole design package. I am not sure from which
design objective this car evolved, but the major
characteristics of the resulting car are, in my view
interconnected, and any degradation of the original
design impinges on the functionality of the brakes.
Those characteristics are summarised as follows;
 Monocoque chassis.
 Independent front suspension incorporating
soft spring rate coil springs, with the often
forgotten attribute of reduced turning circle.
 Hydraulic front shock absorbers; vibration
dampers is a more correct description, they
also incorporated damping that was
dependent on suspension position.
 Lightweight in comparison to load capacity.
Aside from the lightweight benefits of the
monocoque, many other items were studied
for lightweight design, such as the
aluminium engine block of compact
dimensions.
 4-wheel brakes and an actuating system that
delivered 1g stops.
 Split system braking, front to rear.
 Low bodyline, Low centre of gravity (C of
G).
 Torsionally stiff chassis, including the engine
that is a stressed part of the chassis.
 Long suspension travel.
 Low frontal area, producing low drag.
Falchetto’s notes demonstrate he knew how
to measure drag well before the advent of
wind tunnels. See notes on testing the
Astura.
 Leaf springs that allowed a soft ride yet
resisted in a controlled way the forces of
braking and acceleration.
 Better ride quality without sacrificing
cornering power or stability.
It is also important to list a few features that are
absent from the Lambda, features that plagued the
owners of some contemporary cars;
 Wheel shimmy.
 Scuttle shake.
 Bone-jarring ride.
 The ability to leap sideways when a minor
bump was hit during cornering.
 Brakes which ranged from almost nonexistent to average.
Some of the interrelations between the design
concepts are interesting to explore. A torsionally stiff
chassis requires soft springing and large suspension
travel to stop the chassis cracking. Mechanical brakes
need to have some mechanism to alter brake bias to
achieve good braking. A soft spring with long
suspension travel is one of the solutions. No braking
system is any good without a suspension system that
keeps the tyres in contact with the road; hydraulic
shock absorbers and very low spring rate coil springs,
fitted to the higher loaded front wheels delivered
unrivalled tyre/road contact control for braking and
cornering. No braking system is any good that does
not share the load evenly or predictably, as the forces
of braking unload the rear wheels and load up the front
wheels. We find that the simple system described
above achieves this objective. 1g stops are not
physically possible with very high C of G’s.
Lambda history has also handed down to us the fact
that extreme care was taken in the selection and
matching of the four springs to suit each individual
car. If the springs are uneven in load carrying, the
stiff chassis will lighten the load on certain wheels
and increase it on others. This occurs when the
vehicle is stationary and is magnified under braking.
See Ref4, pages 112 to 116. A friend of mine failed in
his complaint to BMW that his new 2003 car had a
13 mm lean, side-to-side, this was said to be within
factory standards. Other manufacturers have even
higher allowances for this problem. Racing cars today
are very accurately weighed on each wheel and not
raced until the weights are close to even side-to-side.
With a torsionally weak 1920’s chassis this is not a
problem. This problem is best demonstrated by
comparing the difficulty of getting a stool to stand
evenly on four legs and the ease with which a fourlegged table settles to rest on each leg. The torsional
weakness of the table being the difference. I will
explore this more in the next article on adjusting the
brakes, as getting the wheel loads back under control
is a key issue for stopping premature wheel locking.
Once again the big contributor to this problem is the
rear leaf springs as well as poorly restored
monocoques.
Unloading of the rear wheels during braking has a
limit; it cannot get to the point where the rear lifts off
the ground. A high and forward placed C of G and
high braking power, cause this problem. See Fig4.
The forces acting on the car or pushbike act through
the C of G. The force of gravity is vertical and the
force of braking is horizontal. The combination of
these two forces results in a ‘combined force’ that
acts at an angle to the horizontal. At 0.5g braking, the
angle to the horizontal is 63.4º; at 1g the angle is 45º.
With the Lambda the combined force falls well inside
the wheelbase at 1g and therefore well away from the
tipping point. If downhill braking is added to the
problem explored in Fig4, for instance a 15º downhill braking event further reduces the angle of the
combined force to 37.5º, increasing the chances of
tipping. Did Falchetto convince Vincenzo Lancia to
try 4 wheel brakes with a simple diagram like Fig 4?
Lancia would have certainly found the tipping
problem when front brakes were used on bicycles or
motorcycles. The bicycle and an early pre WW1 car
depicted in Fig4, like the 15litre Fiat Vincenzo raced
are included to represent what most people would
have understood of braking in the early 1920s. You
will notice I have not mentioned whether any of the
3 vehicles in Fig4 have front wheel brakes. These
forces and their effect are independent of brake
fitment, the limit being that many systems cannot
develop enough stopping power to get a 1 g stop.
With rear brakes only, the effectiveness of the brake
decreases immediately the brake is applied and is
reduced further with pedal pressure. A front brake
however has the least effectiveness at the point of
application and increases with pedal pressure. This
means that a rear-braked vehicle cannot achieve a 1 g
stop unless the C of G is impossibly low and well aft
of wheel base centre. A 1907 Fiat had two drums at
each rear wheel and a water cooled transmission
brake, the Kappa had the same system (without the
water cooling) but neither has a chance of developing
a 1g stop as all 3 brakes are attached to the rear tyres
which are losing contact with the road the harder the
brakes are applied.
If the new Lambda had a lightweight monocoque
with a massive tall and long iron engine, perfect
brakes and suspension, it would still trip-up over its
nose as you approached a 1g stop, particularly when
braking downhill. The solution to that problem
comes from having a lower C of G and a C of G well
back in the chassis. The Lambda fully exploited the
new monocoque with the patented propeller shaft
tunnel getting the passengers, seats, dash, doors,
steering wheel etc. far lower than on other
contemporary cars. But it was more than simply
using a tunnel; they used every device to lower the C
of G to the minimum for the period. For instance,
small wheels and very light brake drums and shoes.
With the 3100mm wheelbase Lambda, the C of G is
as close to the centre of the wheelbase as I can
measure, right where the driver/front passenger sits.
This was measured using a set of racing car scales
(one scale for each wheel). The human body
contributes significantly in raising the C of G in the
case of the bicycle/motorcycle and pre WW1 car, but
not in the Lambda. With the Lambda depicted in
Fig4, you can see the C of G is well aft and quite low,
and therefore the combined force at 1g is well below
the tipping point. However if you reconfigure the
Lambda brakes and tyres and attempt a 2g stop, even
the Lambda is in trouble with a slight downhill stop.
In the vehicles of today a well-braked car has soft
springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, low centre of
gravity, the C of G is well back from the front wheels,
disc brakes as well as ABS. The Lambda of 1922 is
very close to the basic needs of a good stopping car.
The annual road registration brake tests that are used
in most countries have the benchmark ‘g’ figure
below 1. The Lambda was truly a brilliant effort in
1922.
Vincenzo and Battista moved in exactly the right
direction with every one of the new design concepts.
In every case they exploited each new concept to aid
another of the concepts i.e. massive iron engines
need massive springs, suspensions and brakes to
support them or stop them; hence their very clear
focus on lighter weight solutions to every problem.
My view is that Falchetto’s legacy should at least raise
him to the same class as Porsche, Chapman,
Lanchester, WO Bentley etc.; each man in his time
changed the paradigms of the day. It could be argued
that Falchetto changed far more in a very short
period and got so much of it right, first time. He
achieved this, not in the ephemeral world of car
racing, but with the jobs of a whole factory, the
investors and the very survival of the business at
stake.
Summary
The Lambda brake balance system is capable of
varying the brake bias ratio well away from any
statically set bias ratio. For instance if the brakes
were statically set to have the same brake torque on
both front and rear drums (a bias ratio F:R of 50:50)
the dynamic bias ratio can go over 70:30 with high
pedal pressure and 40:60 with light pedal pressures
and rear passengers etc. I have read quiet a number
of technical papers on four wheel braking and
independent front suspension from the UK based
Institute of Automotive Engineers, all published in
the vintage period. The theme in the majority of
these papers is nothing more than a torrent of biased,
ill-conceived, nonsense. Scattered in amongst these
diatribes, there is some good sound engineering and
the occasional voice of common sense. One engineer
responding to a paper (7), states that he has owned a
Sizaire Nadine (crude sliding pillar IFS) and currently
owned a Lambda. He stated, “The Lambda does not
exhibit any of the disadvantages expounded by the
Author, quiet the reverse”. Amongst his many points
he refers to the design and quality of the rear spring
leaves as a major contributor to the exceptional ride
of the Lambda, as well of course to the front
springing and hydraulic shock absorber. In other
papers on four-wheel braking issues, the reasons
proposed for staying with two-wheel brakes ranged
from cost, weight, wheel shimmy, humans not being
able to stand high brake forces, to the lack of friction
on London roads, due to horse traffic, to high
braking forces disturbing the comfort of rear
passengers (might spill the G&T, your authors
interpretation of the excuse to do nothing). The
Chief Engineer of Rolls Royce submitted this last
objection. In a general sense, the problems
mentioned above of worn or butchered leaf springs
has application to most vintage cars, but to varying
degrees as the different designs of cable/rod
mechanisms will react differently. Each owner will
need to study his vehicle to understand the
consequences that increased leaf spring twist has on
brake performance.
We are indeed indebted to Vincenzo Lancia for
financing a car that was so different from the
competition, for motivating his team, for his faith in
Battista Falchetto, who’s genius is clearly evident in
these magnificently braked, good handling light cars.
To repeat, we are indeed lucky to have a genius that
solved all of these interactions with systems that were
elegant and simple. Unfortunately this simplicity
resulted in little understanding in the industry of what
he achieved and in my view robbed Falchetto of the
praise he rightly deserves. There were no black boxes
for the journalists to endlessly discuss and dissect, the
system being hidden in elegant simplicity. Those that
tried the car felt the improvements but generally
attributed the improvements solely to the new front
suspension. The discussion above clearly
demonstrates the total integration of the vehicle
design, as a simply change in rear springs changes
brake performance.
Bibliography
1. The Motor, April 1925.
2. The Motor, March 1929.
3. Falchetto, Planner & Designer, Libreria
Automotoclub Storico Italiano
4. Capolavoro. The Lancia Lambda by Bill Jamieson
5. Rolls Royce Heritage Trust, Fundamentals of Car
Performance, technical series No8
6. American Machinist articles, by J.A. Lucas,
complied by G. Goldberg
7. The Institute of Automotive Engineers, “The case
for the Independently Sprung Wheel” by WM Evans,
1929.
8. Dykes Automobile Encyclopaedia 1926
9. Rolls Royce suspension data on Lambda, James
Williamson report
Note1: The term ‘g’ is used in Engineering and
Science for acceleration in any direction. This term is
derived from ‘1g’ being the acceleration due to
gravity, which is in the vertical direction. At ground
level 1g is 9.81 metres per second per second (32.2
feet per sec per sec). To brake a car at 1g requires the
cars speed to be reduced by 9.81 metres/sec every
second. This translates to a 35,3kph reduction every
second. A car travelling at 100kph must stop in 2.83
seconds to record a 1g stop. That is 100 divided by
35.3= 2.83 seconds.
The F1 Ferrari of the 2000 season is reported by the
factory to brake at peak rates of 4.2g, with 3.3g
coming from the brakes and 0.9g coming from
aerodynamic drag. Lambda and other vintage cars
have very large contributions to their braking effort
coming from aero drag. But the high frontal area and
poor drag coefficient of vintage cars contribute to
braking performance at very much lower speeds than
the F1 Ferrari. Fig4 ignores the effect of wind
resistance in the combined forces diagrams. The
wind resistance factor increases the combined force
angle for the same ‘g’ stop, thereby reducing the
tendency to tip.
Top fuel dragsters can in recent years accelerate at 8g
at the time of launch and average 4g for the quarter
mile. Their drivers are now suffering with detached
retinas. The ‘nay sayers’ of the 1920’s were right;
there is a limit to what the human body can
withstand, they were just out by a factor of 8.
The other subject where g forces arise is in the design
of piston and connecting rods. A Lambda engine
running at 3500 rpm, has a piston speed of approx.
90kph at the mid stroke and 60mm of travel later, it
has stopped. This results in an average deceleration
of 574g. A 1600 Fulvia is only 364g at the same
engine revs, at 3000 rpm the Lambda is still slightly
above that of the Fulvia at 3500rpm. This is the
reason Don Wright would occasionally rattle a 20
litre steel drum containing bent and broken rods
before the start of a rally or when an owner was
picking up an overhauled engine. His advice was, to
“drive with your right foot in your back pocket or be
prepared to open your wallet again.”
Note2: Several factory drawings have come to light in
the last month, one drawing is still missing. The best
Bill Jamieson and I can determine as to the fitment
of these differently designed springs is set out below.
The 1st series Lambda had an 11-leaf spring,
including only 2 reverse camber leaves. The 2nd up
to and including 5th series had a 15-leaf spring
including 3 reverse camber leaves but with the same
part number as the 1st series. The 6th and later series
had a 15 leaf spring including 3 reverse camber leaves
of a different design to the earlier series spring (not
being interchangeable) with variations on this basic
design for the various wheelbases and body styles of
the late series cars. The surviving parts lists however
record the same part number spring from 1st up to
and including 6th. From visual inspection there is a
strong case to believe the springs were gradually
increased in torsional stiffness from the 1st to the
2nd series and then from the 5th to the 6th series and
later heavier body style applications. Some of this
extra torsional stiffness in the late series cars would
be necessary to cope with the much larger brakes
fitted part way through the 6th series. In addition the
late series brakes have a higher leverage in the brake
cams, making them more susceptible to spring twist.
Note3: Despite the condescending views exhibited in
the Rolls Royce documents (5), they did not single
out Lancia; every manufacturer apparently knew less
than they did. I did not single them out for inclusion
in this article to the exclusion of others. I searched
extensively for data on other cars of the 1920’s
period and could not find any other data. It is
interesting to note that to road register a 2 wheel
braked car in the state of NSW in 2014 the car has to
pass a brake test and record ‘g’ figures similar the
Dykes figures shown above.
Note4: The repair kit I offer for sale is available from
John Shellard in Victoria, Andrew Torti in
Queensland, Steve Peterson in the USA and Joachim
Griese in Continental Europe. Others will be
arranged soon. These owners will keep a small trial
kit, which other owners can borrow, measure the
requirements of each of the 4 positions and return
the kit for loan out to other owners. Then place an
order with me for their requirements. My email
address is [email protected]. The logic of
this method of sale is the result of the highly variable
gaps found in these springs after 90 years of service.
I extend my sincere gratitude to the many Lambda
owners that contributed to this article, in particular
Richard Heher with the failed axle weld, to Bill
Jamieson for his dedication to documents of Lambda
history and Peter Renou for his tireless attention to
editing detail and interest in all things technical.
Sandro Munari and John Davenport in their Lancia Fulvia on the frozen river stage in 1967
COPPA D’ORO 2014
Lancia Aprilia driven by Canè and Galliani, winners of
many Historic Coppa d’Oro and Mille Miglia.
An unusual view of the Aprilia at Corvara.
Lancia Aurelia B24.
The dashboard of the Aprilia.
1947 Lancia Aprilia Sport with tubular chassis.
Lancia Flaminia in front of the legendary Hotel de la Poste
in Cortina.
Source: Veloce Today
EIFFEL RALLYE FESTIVAL 2014
1976 Lancia Stratos
1972 Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF
1976 Lancia Stratos
1972 Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF
1976 Lancia Stratos and 1975 Lancia Stratos
Source: Sports Car Digest
PEBBLE BEACH TOUR D’ELEGANCE 2014
1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Series 1
Pinin Farina Coupe
1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Series 1
Pinin Farina Coupe
1964 Lancia 1800 Zagato Sport Prototype
1964 Lancia 1800 Zagato Sport Prototype
1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Series 1
Pinin Farina Coupe
1964 Lancia 1800 Zagato Sport Prototype
Source: Sports Car Digest
Eugenio Castellotti at the wheel of the Lancia-Ferrari at the 1956 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Photo by Graham Gauld
SHANNONS SYDNEY CLASSIC - EASTERN CREEK 2014
RECENT AUCTIONS
1932 Lancia Dilambda Torpedo Sport
Coachwork by Viotti Lot 23 Pebble Beach 2014 Estimate: $450,000 - $550,000 SOLD: $715,000
FOR SALE / WANTED
Advertisements
appear
for
three
consecutive months and must then be rebooked. It is a legal requirement that they
show a price and engine number, or, if
unregistered, the engine number of the
vehicle. If these details are not submitted
with the advertisement, unfortunately it
cannot be published.
For Sale - Lancia Fulvia coupe doors
RHS/LHS steel doors. $395 ono each. Contact
Tony Ward (02) 9144 7283 or Mob 0417 869693
Please send ads to the editor, Danny
Wilson at [email protected]
OR [email protected]
For Sale - 1951 Lancia Aurelia Berlina B10-4614
Prompted by the cost of the apparently
interminable renovation of Casa Pagan, my B10 is
for sale. Delivered new by Shields Motors to a
South Australian grazier; several subsequent
Melbourne owners including Clive Beattie’s wife
and, for many years, Doug Hotton.
Reliable, comfortable, effective touring car with
endearing character and useful spares. Well-used
condition but much mechanical refurbishment done
over last 8 years (details available on request).
Currently fitted with engine no. B10-2554, but
original engine B10-5203 comes with the car.
Historic rego; $30,000 ono; phone John Pagan
0414 715 815
For Sale - Lancia Beta 2000 sedan headlights
Both LHS & RHS lights. Professionally re-silvered
reflectors. As new condition. Genuine RHD lens.
$295 each complete. $250 excluding bulbs. $200 on
exchange (lens must not be cracked or chipped)
Registration requirements insist upon correct
alignment. Contact Tony Ward (02) 9144 7283 Mob
0417 869693
For Sale - Lancia Beta Coupe brochure
Large format, multi language $35.00
Contact Brian Arundale 03 6391 8698
For Sale - Lancia HPE’s x 2
One very rusty while the other was a goer but needs
re-commissioning. Will be given to a good home
but the cars will need to be picked up.
Contact Tony O’Donnell 0417 127503
For Sale - Lancia Models
A large range of quality detailed 1:43 scale metal
models of your favourite Lancia are now available.
Contact Grahame Ward (07) 55799000 (h) 0407
755550 (mob) or email [email protected]
for details of particular models available for
immediate delivery. Approximately $40 each plus
postage and packaging depending upon model.
For Sale - Lancia Parts
Lancia Fulvia Water Pumps brand new $275.00
Lancia Fulvia Ignition Points $20.00
Lancia Flaminia Ignition Points $35.00
Post and pack extra
Tony Kovacevic 0413 464401
[email protected]
For Sale – RHD Lancia Fulvia Dashboard
Panels



Made locally from high quality marine grade ply
Available in Series 1 and 2/3 profiles
Available in two forms: Unfinished timber ready to
finish - $225 + delivery OR Stained and finished
with satin marine grade polyurethane - $265 +
delivery - Two tones available – light and dark
Available from:
Danny Wilson - [email protected]
Ph (02) 6373 3931
Lambda Motors - [email protected]
Ph: (02) 4871 1900
For Sale – Lancia Parts
Guy Croft twin side draught inlet manifold. Suit
Weber/Dellorto carbies. New - $775.00
4 Beta and Delta wheel spacers 15 mm thick $100.00 a set
Original parts manuals for Beta and Lancia 2000 F4
From - $100.00
Delta 4WD workshop manual original - $125.00
Lancia Flavia 1.5 1st Edition 1964 Parts book - $135.00
Lancia Flavia sedan repair shop manual – original
8798769 First edition 1964 - $125.00
Repair shop manual supplement to original manual For
Flavia Coupe, Convertible and Sport. 8798780 First
edition 1963 - $98.00
Contact Lambda Motors:
Phone: 02 . 4871.1900
Fax:
02 . 4871.1933
Email: [email protected]
Vin Thomas has reported from Albury that the Fulvia
engine that Graham rebuilt has been refitted into the
car by Max Carmody Motors, and he is enjoying
driving his Fulvia once again.
*********
Terry Julien’s Fulvia coupe is yet to be run in, possibly
needs wheel bearings before being delivered back to
Canberra. He is busy moving cars from Kotta to a new
home.
*********
We have a Series II exterior mirror, exchange, rebuilt
for $250.00
Also Series I matador original mirrors, at $350.00
exchange – they look like new.
A pair of Fulvia Series I front indicator assemblies
At $185.00 each and one original RH (?) Altissiimo
indicator at $195.00.
**********
Any one interested in a 166 Alfa Romeo?
Graham has one for sale.
******************************
LAMBDA MOTOR COMPANY
Unit 2, 13 Priestley Street, (P.O. Box 345)
Mittagong NSW 2575
ABN 43 002 436 848
Ph: (02) 4871 1900 Fax: (02) 4871 1933
Mobile 0414 636303
Email: [email protected]
THE LAST WORD...
Best of Show - 1939 Lancia Astura Cabriolet, coachwork by Pinin Farina
2014 Schloss Dyck Classic Days – A German Festival of Historic Cars - "The Old Motor"