primotipo…

The Lancia Nardi F2…

The ‘LAutomobile’s headline confidently predicted that ‘With its 135 hp and ultra-light tubular chassis, the monoposto 2-litte Lancia-Nardi will soon be a threat to Ferrari and Gordini.’

It proved a tad optimistic, only a few test sessions circa-September 1952 made it clear that the power of the modified production Aurelia V6 was well short of the Gordini, let alone the dominant Ferrari 500, so Enrico Nardi put the car aside in favour of other projects, the one machine built was never raced. Reader Henk Vasmel has a record of the car being entered for the Gran Premio Monza on September 7, 1952, but it didn’t appear; no driver was nominated.

 While some may say that the car is just another mighta-been – and such folks are indeed correct – Nardi was on the button, ahead of the curve in fact, in terms of the car’s conception, it’s 1952 remember: mid-engined, tubular frame, however butch it appears to be, mid-mounted fuel tanks, independent front and rear suspension, inboard rear drums, outboard of the wheels at the front.

The Lancia parts bin donated the Nardi-modified V6 engine, the gearbox and final drive and the front and rear suspension components. If only Gianni Lancia had said to Vittorio (Jano), ‘This has merit, why don’t you have a play with it?’ History could have been quite different if he had!?

Credit…

Robert Roux, L’Automobile, lanciaaurelia.info, forix.com, uniquecarsandparts.com

Tailpiece…

Finito..,