Description
Imperial War Museum | Duxford, Cambridgeshire
9th April 2025 - 9:00AM
1935 Lancia Belna Saloon
Estimate
£11, 000 - £13, 000
Registration No: JSJ 241
Chassis No: F311484
MOT: Exempt
Rare French-built Lancia, 1 of just c. 3, 000 made
Previously part of a large private collection in which resided from 1998 - 2018
Benefiting from mechanical improvement and has tours of the continent and the UK while in the vendor's ownership
A nicely presented, older restored example
Responsible for some of the most innovative cars ever designed, Lanica has a proud engineering heritage. Introduced in 1933, the Augusta featured Lancia’s trademark sliding-pillar independent front suspension and a compact V4 engine producing 35bhp and a quoted top speed of 65mph. Manufactured in Turin and at Bonneuil-sur-Marne, Lancia’s first factory outside Italy, it was rechristened the Belna for the French market. Approximately 3, 000 Belnas were made before production ceased during 1938, with all but 500 or so being saloons.
Dating from 1935, this very rare French-built Lancia is finished in Navy Blue over Sky Blue with a contrasting Burgundy leather interior. Self-evidently the subject of previous restoration work, the Belna retains the 1196cc V4 engine allied to the four-speed manual transmission. Imported to the UK in 1998 and entering into a large private collection that same year, the saloon was apparently used for a variety of shows, weddings, and school graduation balls during its twenty years in the collection. Purchased by the previous owner and thoroughly recommissioned, more recently the Lancia was rewired in 2020.
Acquired by the vendor in 2021, the Belna has benefitted from significant further mechanical improvement with the mechanical filter refreshed, sliding pillar suspensions overhauled, four new tyres, and new spark plugs, as well as the door catches overhauled, fitment of a hidden USB charger, and sound insulating. Completing a couple of UK tours, the vendor also embarked upon a European tour, driving to Bordeaux followed by Carcassonne, around the Pyrenees, and back to Britain. Covering around 5, 000 miles in the vendor’s ownership, ‘JSJ 241’ has also won two awards in two attendances to the Lancia National Rally including in the Augusta Belna class. Chassis ‘F311484’ is offered for sale with previous tax discs and MOTs, copies of the car's manuals, and a current V5C Registration Document.
