Lancia Veicoli Speciali

Lancia is one of the Italian car manufacturers oldest and famous for the quality of its manufacture. Created with Turin in 1906, the Lancia company is always in activity although integrated in the group FIAT. Division Lancia Veicoli Industriali was created in 1912.

Lancia remained an independent company until 1955, when it was repurchased by Gianpiero Pesenti, founder of one of the first European cement-manufacturers, Italcementi. Lancia was then taken again in 1969 by the group FIAT S.p.A.

Division Lancia Veicoli Speciali was the last name of the branch Lancia Véhicules Industrial after its repurchase by the group FIAT in 1969 and its integration in Iveco in 1975.

What few people apart from Italy know, it is that Lancia was a large manufacturer of cars, splendid WP, trucks of big class and rally and racing racing cars drawn by the Masters of the Italian design, but also of trucks and coaches.

Following the example several other Italian famous brands, sporting or of prestige, like Alfa Romeo or Isotta-Fraschini, the firm inhabitant of Turin also produced famous industrial vehicles. Just like the cars, their names are letters of the alphabet Greek.

The first truck: the military truck 1Z

Since 1911, Lancia manufactured military vehicles for the Italian army. They enter in scene before the First World War to the image of the type 1Z, one 4,5 tons four cylinders of five liters (70 ch), which is illustrated in Libya. It will be built in 91 specimens until 1916.

When the First World War bursts, Lancia was declared Usine auxiliary of war and had to devote all its means to the efforts of war of the country. Thus the project of a very new engine 8 cylinders out of V hardly patented could not be manufactured and the production schedule of Lancia Tipo 61 (25/35 HP-Theta) was re-examined to transform it into military command vehicle. In front of also devoting itself to the military trucks, Lancia - which had shown its knowledge to make with the 1Z - have any difficulty in add two new models to its range of 1915, Jota and Diota, equipped with the same four-cylinder motor of 4942 Cm3, but with a frame with different footing: 3,35m for the 1Z, 3,60m for the Jota and 3,00m for Diota.

The production of trucks rose, during this period with 1776 units:

1Z: 91
Jota: 1517
Diota : 168

The types Iota and Diota had an increased payload; they were fitted with body in the Farina Establishments in many versions, of which some adapted to the transport of artillery. They were also transformed into armored vehicles by Ansaldo. Many will be provided to the Alliées armies, in particular with the British army.

During the Twenties, Vincenzo Lancia applies to the civil and military trucks, buses and coaches which it produces the same demanding step as for its cars. Innovation and avant-garde characterize these vehicles, like Pentaiota of 1924 and its brakes with front, the Esajota bus with the frame flattened to decrease the height of the floor or Omicron launched in 1928 and equipped with one six cylinders with valves at the head and double camshaft. The regular line of coach between Algeria and Sudan was exploited by a company which used only of Lancia Omnicron and whose age will remain unspecified but the meter exceeded the 3 million km.

Lancia is also distinguished in diesel technology with one from the first engines from this type, one five cylinders on line. In 1933 appears a diesel twin-cylinder two times Junkers license. It will be assembled on the model Ro, follow-up of one three cylinders, always at two times, equipping the rho-rho. The majority of the Lancia models are built in small series declined in many versions with very many alternatives…

After the Second world war, Lancia produces large transport aircrafts and tractors with cabin over engine, like all the Italian manufacturers. They are Esadelta and Esagamma motorized by diesel engines Lancia of 8,2 liters and 10,5 liters. Esagamma will be also manufactured under license in Ethiopia until 1970.

The Lancia company will be repurchased by FIAT in 1969 and the range of the industrial vehicles Lancia will be integrated in Iveco in 1975. The factory of Bolzano - North of Italy close to Austria - remains an important site of manufacture IVECO for the special vehicles.

History of the industrial vehicles Lancia

The years 1921 to 1939

After these years of war, the resumption of the civil activities is slow. The market was not poas very active.

In spite of these difficulties, Lancia presented into 1921 the Trijota models and Tetrajota, built exclusively out of frames and provided to the carriage-builders specialized to transform them into truck or vans. Teams of the old prewar, very robust and reliable engine, with 4 cylinders on line of 4,9 liters cubic capacity. These manufactured models with 673 specimens, will be a very good success abroad. Tetrajota will be manufactured until 1928.

In 1924 Lancia presents a new model, Pentajota, equipped with the same engine of 4,9 sufficient liters and 70 HP to enable him to reach 60 km/h, Pentajota was qualified, at the time, of giant of the road. It was one of the very first trucks to receive brakes on the front axle. Pentajota will be manufactured until 1929 in addition to 2000 specimens, a true record.

In parallel Lancia presented a very new frame for urban bus, Eptajota, with a frame very clearly flattened to answer the schedule of conditions of Milanese transport. Very comfortable and of a strong transport capacity, Eptajota was produced with 2.000 specimens between 1927 and 1934.

The very rich Jota series finished with Eptajota.

After the Esajota bus built in only 13 specimens during the year 1926, Lancia presented a very new model in 1927, resting on a frame of new design, modern and general-purpose because being able to receive a body of urban the bus type but also of tourism, Omicron. This revolutionary frame profited from a new six-cylinder motor on line of 7069 Cm3 - boring 100mm X race 150mm - developing 92 HP with 1600 t/mn thanks to its design with valves at the head ordered by two cam shafts.

Omicron will be manufactured with footing court of 512,5 cm and length 592 cm, it is the first frame of bus equipped with hydraulic brakes on the 4 wheels. In 1929, after a first series of 200 specimens, the brakes were supplemented by a servo vacuum brake. Omicron was made an excellent reputation and was a large success. It will be built in 601 specimens between 1927 and 1936, thanks to its reputation of indestructible vehicle - the majority of the models exceeded the 2 million chilometers. Qualities of Omicron were propagated also abroad and one saw several specimens equipped in the sleeping car, used on the regular line through the Sahara, between Algeria and Sudan.

Omnicron will be also one of the first coaches to lay out of a diesel engine 5 cylinders of 6871 Cm3 93 HP, in option with the engine gasoline.

With beginning of the year 30, Vincenzo Lancia bought to the license of manufacture of the diesel engine Junkers. It was a twin-cylinder two times, with two pistons opposed by cylinder, of 3181 Cm3 developing 64 HP with 1500 t/mn. The Junkers engine had also a version with three cylinders of 4.771 Cm3 and 95 HP.

Lancia equipped its new Ro truck with the two cylinder motor, it was manufactured between 1932 and 1938. In 1935 Lancia presented a military version of Ro been driven by a traditional Lancia engine to 4 cylinders 4 times with 5126 Cm3 and 65 HP, which were distinguished during the program from the Italian army in Ethiopia.

The model rho-rho, which was presented at the same time, was equipped with the Junkers engine to 3 cylinders of 4771 Cm3.

The 3 Ro, presented in 1938 and manufactured until 1947 in 12.700 specimens, in its civil and military versions, was equipped with the Lancia engine to 5 cylinders with 6871 Cm3 and 93 HP, the same engine which equipped the Omicron coach, which authorized speeds of 80 km/h.

Production of the industrial vehicles Lancia between 1921 and 1945: 25.946 on the whole:

Jota (1919/20): 598
Diota : 2
Triota: 256
Tetrajota : 417
Pentajota : 2191
Esajota : 13
Eptajota: 1985
Omicron : 601
Jota (1929): 16
Ro (diesel): 843
Ro (enssence): 576
rho-rho: 301 Military
: 3746
3 Ro: 12191 (until the 31-12-1945)
Ardea/van: 56 (until the 31-12-1945)
Electric vehicles: 61 (until the 31-12-1945)
Esaro: 2001 (until the 31-12-1945)
Lince: 250

The factory of Bolzano at the border with Austria

The shortly after the first world war, while the engineers of Turin worked with the development of the project of car Aprilia, Vincenzo Lancia decided to adhere to the project of the Italian government to create an industrial center with Bolzano.

In March 1935, the engineering services of the town hall of Bolzano communicated to the direction of Lancia the topographic plans of the sector for the choice of the batch of ground to buy for the construction of their new factory. Six months after, work started and in April 1937 the first paid ones were engaged. After one period of formation to the factory of Turin, division foundry of the new Lancia factory started the in June 1937 production. Mechanical division started shortly after and the industrial activity Lancia experienced a strong development with the two industrial sites under operation. The site of Bolzano had become a complement essential to the original site of Turin.

But in 1942 the bombardments also touched Bolzano. During following years, 1943 and 1944, the activity will be almost stopped because of the bombardments which strongly damaged the factory. The renewal of activity, difficult, slow but progressive will begin on May 3rd, 1945. The rebuilding of the workshops was completed and Lancia decided to specialize the site of Bolzano for the industrial vehicles.

The Fifties

It is into 1955 that Lancia is repurchased by the family lombarde Pesenti, owner of one of the first European cement-manufacturers groups, Italcementi.

During the 15 years which followed, Lancia will develop and renew all its range and its production of trucks, with the introduction of the average and heavy models Esatau and Esagamma, luxurious competitors of FIAT and OM.

The recovery by FIAT and integration in Iveco

The production of the trucks typically Lancia like the giant of the Esagamma road will finish in 1970, one year after the resumption of Lancia by the group FIAT. The industrial site of Bolzano will continue the production of special vehicles like the famous 4x4 of the range 75-95 HP until 1990.

Currently, the site of Bolzano always manufactures special machines, in particular vehicles of fire control whose Iveco is the world leader.

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