1933 Lancia Dilambda 232

A one-off, highly original sports racing car with period race history from Asmara, Eritrea

In the 1930s, Eritrea in North Africa was an Italian colony and the capital, Asmara, was almost exclusively populated by Italians. One of their biggest passions was motor racing and the local automobile club arranged numerous hillclimbs and street races.

Notable events included the 1937 Coppa del Governatore dell’Eritrea, a 26km hillclimb from Nefasit to Asmara, and the 1938 Coppa di Natale, won by Emilio Romano in his Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza.

This is the only known Dilambda racing special created in period, surviving as is, with its pared-back body and substantially reduced chassis.

The car displays Vincenzo Lancia’s innovative sliding-pillar front suspension, a semi-monocoque chassis, compact 24-degree, 4-litre V8, and hydraulic drum brakes all round. The chassis has been skilfully shortened and narrowed. The usual Dilambda front cowl, suspension struts and bonnet have been streamlined with a lower profile.

Its rugged construction, torquey engine and sophisticated suspension made it particularly well suited to the long, challenging hillclimbs of North Africa.

Since the war, there had been a US base in Eritrea and the car was bought by a serviceman. It returned with him to the US, where it resided until 2020, relatively unknown to the broader public. Having been through the workshops of Historic Specialist Walter Heale, it is now back in the running condition it deserves, it retains a wealth of original features and any non-period parts and finishes have been replaced with the utmost care and attention to detail. The period racing body work remains full in tact. Hammer marks still beautifully adorn the inside of the rear clamshell. The grey green body colour is matched to a sample found underneath the later layers, and is in a period correct cellulose finish.

A Certificate of Origin from FCA Heritage has confirmed it remains highly original, with matching-numbers chassis, gearbox and rear differential.