Enthusiasm and commitment
08/27/2021
It was March 15, 1921, when Battista Falchetto was called into a meeting with Vincenzo Lancia . A new car was to be designed and it was to be clearly different from existing vehicles. Lancia wanted a self-supporting car with a front engine and independent front suspension. And the first test drive was to take place on September 1, 1921.
Falchetto was just 24 years old at the time, but had gained experience in aircraft design during the war and had a good education to fall back on. The young engineer more or less worked through the next night and was able to present 14 sketches the following morning, which included variants of the independent front suspension. And so it went on. With the tight deadline and an extreme amount of design work to be done, 17-hour days were the rule rather than the exception and Falchetto didn't stop at weekends either. He often started at 05:00 in the morning and only left the factory shortly before midnight. And it was not only the young designer who did an incredible job, the other employees involved also gave their all to ensure that the test drive would be successful as planned in September 1921.
The new engine, a V4 with a narrow fork angle, was completed on time, as was the first self-supporting body structure, which, although not yet suitable for series production in terms of design, proved that the idea worked in principle. For the first time, a cardan tunnel was constructed in a car and there was another transverse tunnel for the rear axle. As desired, the prototype did not have a separate chassis; the innovative front wheel suspension had to be adapted to the new design.
The test drive on September 1, 1921 - exactly 100 years would soon have passed since then - went as Vincenzo Lancia had hoped, to his complete satisfaction, and thus the basis for the Lancia Lambda was laid. Company boss Lancia invited his development team, which comprised a total of ten people, to a formidable meal at the Ristorante Giaconera in Condove.
This meal was well deserved, as the small team had built a completely new type of car in just over five months, essentially making automotive history. Without their unbridled dedication, these enthusiastic people would certainly not have achieved this ...
