80 years for a model that accompanied one of the most difficult periods of Italian history: from 1939 to 1953 passing through the war and the difficult launch of the reconstruction operations.
Vincenzo Lancia wanted a smaller and more economic model than the Aprilia, in a period when in Italy, which was subject to international sanctions due to the invasion of Ethiopia, petrol was hard to come by and expensive.
Lancia died in 1937 and it was his wife Adele who guided the finalisation of the project that her husband had called, right from the start, “the most popular car among those that I have built”.
It was so popular that it also became a work and loading vehicle. In fact, half way through 1945 the commercial “van” version was added to the saloon, followed, three years later, by a “truck” version too.
The Lancia Ardea Club will be in Padua, the club that for years has been responsible for supporting the promotion and rigorous restoration of the few remaining original models.
