Lancia Trikappa

The Lancia Trikappa is a passenger car produced by Lancia between 1922 and 1925. It was a luxury car, the flagship of Lancia's production. The Trikappa 4.5-litre V8 is notable as the first of Lancia's narrow V engines, a distinguishing feature the manufacturer only abandoned in the 1970s. The car was offered as a bare rolling chassis, as torpedo or 6-seater coupé de ville.[1] In total 847 were manufactured.[2]

Lancia Trikappa
Lancia Trikappa coupé de ville
Overview
Manufacturer	Lancia
Production	1922–1925
Body and chassis
Class	Luxury car
Body style	Torpedo Coupé de ville
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine	4,594 cc V8
Transmission	4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	3,384 mm (133.2 in)[1]
Curb weight	1,360 kg (2,998 lb) (chassis)[2]
Chronology
Successor	Lancia Dilambda

Lancia had been experimenting with V engines since the First World War, even showcasing a chassis with a narrow V 12-cylinder engine at the 1919 Paris Motor Show. In the end V12 engined cars were estimated to be too expensive to produce and a V8 was used instead.

Specifications

The Trikappa was powered by a 4,594 cc Tipo 68 V8, with a bore and stroke of 75 mm (3.0 in) and 130 mm (5.1 in). The engine featured a narrow 14° angle between the cylinder banks, and a single overhead camshaft and two parallel valves per cylinder.[2] Fed by a Zenith twin-choke carburettor,[1] it produced 98 hp at 2,500 rpm, allowing the Trikappa to reach a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph).[2] The gearbox had four forward speeds and a triple-plate dry clutch.

In addition to the narrow V engine, another first for Lancia were brakes on all four wheels. The first examples produced left the factory with rear wheel brakes only and were upgraded later.[2] The brake pedal acted on the front brakes and transmission brake, while the rears were actuated via a hand lever.[1] The rest of the mechanicals were as on other coeval Lancia models: ladder frame, solid axles front and rear with semi-elliptic leaf springs and Hartford dampers.[1]

References

1. Lancia Trikappa (brochure) (in French). Lancia & C. Turin—fabbrica di automobili. 1926.
2. Amatori 1992.

Bibliography

• Frostick, Michael (1976). Lancia. ISBN 0-901564-22-2.
• Amatori, Franco; et al. (1992). Storia della Lancia — Impresa Tecnologie Mercati 1906–1969. Milan: Fabbri Editori. pp. 352–353.