Lancia Augusta

[James B.]

Re: Lancia Augusta 1933-1936

 

Can someone please explain how the Augusta is considered a full unibody (monocoque) built automobile from what I have read so far?  I have only seen examples where the body is off a platform frame and also see a lightened cruciform brace under the car. No bracing should be seen if it is a true unibody but integrated within the body structure - unless it was for special use?  If this is actually a true unibody car, it would predate the Citroen TA by a year.

 

Thanks!

Jim

 

[James B.]

Bumping this back up with no responses... but, from what I have found since this post is that the Augusta is yet another unitized "unit-built body on frame" car where there are exterior frame elements (side rails, x bracing, etc...) welded under the body so is not a truly integrated unibody.  Can anyone validate this? 

 

[mike6024]

Self-supporting body is what it is claimed to have. Is it a matter of semantics, as in how exactly do you define unibody?

 

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Augusta

 

It was then that ideas arose such as opening the doors reversed to facilitate access on board, in fact all the side of the cockpit was free of any obstacle without any intermediate amount. The front and rear drifts were eliminated, the masses, from the engine to the occupants, were "centered" on the wheelbase, the bodywork was entirely made of steel and Lancia invented, for this occasion, the undeformable self- supporting body, a world first.

 

The bodywork consisted of a steel floor with lateral hollow profiles reinforced by an X-cross, on which the upper part of the self-supporting body was then welded without any intermediate tubular frame (neither wooden as was Very common at the time, nor steel stamped as on the Fiat 1500 6 cylinders of the time). This body did not have an intermediate pillar for the doors because the rigidity of the whole was much greater than the need. This particularity of design will remain for a long time the technical appanage Lancia, that will be found on the Aprilia and Ardea then on the more contemporary Aurelia sedan and Appia.

The Lancia Augusta is the world's first automobile to receive a modern self-supporting body, such as those found on cars of the xxi th  century. This will also be the first Lancia car to be built on a Lancia design manufacturing line.

[James B.]

10 hours ago, mike6024 said:

So maybe it's not a unibody if you look at it that way, a body welded to a frame. To me what would make it a unibody would be if the roof was integral to the structure, that is the roof was adding rigidity, preventing flexion

 

To me, a true unibody is where all support beams are totally integrated with one another as opposed being built in sections or using or needing any added support beams to beef it up.  In other words, the first modern type unibody.  Not a unitized body welded to a platform.  Not a unitized body with an exterior frame welded on (aka Lincoln Zephyr).  Not a unitized body with added support (beefing) beams (aka Nash 600).  That said, where does the Citroen TA fall in?  Or Rambler (which to me still has exterior beefing framework like Nash but has unibody integrated front clip), or even 1960 Corvair, Falcon, or Chrysler products?  Maybe a British make with a true unibody?

I will allow what some may call semi-unibody where there are subframes for motor and front suspension attached to the unibody even though a true unibody would be like that of the 1958-1960 Lincoln and Thunderbirds.   Seeking the first true form... maybe of each type?  Thanks again for your comments and those other can add to this.

 

Jim