Lancia Motor Club

Post content removed at request of enquirer, who thanks all who helped, there may be other information to follow.

P

Frank, I think more information is needed on condition and what type of body it has, van, lorry, bus, armoured car even. Is it in this country. can you get some pictures?

Frank T

See up-date on first post.


P

Can anyone tell me who has the copyright - if any - for this photo of Triota in the Royal Naval Air Service.  The RNAS became the Fleet Air Arm with whom I flew as observer/navigator for twelve years.  I am a member of the Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum and I know the editor of their private circulation quarterly magazine (Jabberwock) would be delighted to see the photo and, ideally, use it.

Mic, the RNAS picture is culled from the internet at some time but I can't trace it again. It would appear to be from a newspaper, perhaps the Illustrated London News showing the Lord Mayor's Procession in 1915?

There is another RNAS Lancia image on this web site;

http://armoredcars-ww-one.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00Z&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00Z&max-results=17#uds-search-results

The accompanying text suggests copyright does not apply before a certain date but that images coloured by the author of this site are his copyright.

I hope this helps a little.

Frank T

Thank you, Frank.  Exactly what I wanted to know.


Armoured cars in the First War - one of the people involved with the British made RNAS vehicles was Sammy (SCH) Davis.  He had to be given a commission for the purpose hence his records are in the FAA Museum archive.  I have copies somewhere.

Mic

Another thought or two.  How certain are we that this is a Triota?  I don't have the right books to check but I thought the Triota started in c.1921.   

Were there really Lord Mayor Shows during the War?  Seems a bit odd but there certainly was in 1915, sort of a recruiting show one article says.

Yes, you seem to be right, at least according to Wikipedia.

Jota

The Jota was Lancia's first truck, designed for military use. Production for the Royal Italian Army began in 1915, and continued throughout World War I, making up two thirds of Lancia's total wartime production of roughly 3,000 vehicles.

The Jota was powered by the Tipo 61 4,940 cc side valve, monobloc inline-four, with 70 hp at 2,200 rpm, from the 1912 Lancia 1Z military light truck and 1913 35 HP Theta passenger car.[2] Front and rear the Jota used solid axles on semi-elliptic leaf springs; brakes were on the transmission and on the rear wheels, and the transmission was a 4-speed gearbox with a multi-plate dry clutch.

Djota

A short-wheelbase version ( 3.0m down from 3.6m but front track increased from 1.4m to 1.43m, rear still 1.428m) of the Jota, it was produced in comparatively small numbers and almost exclusively for the military during the war.

Triota

The postwar 1921 Triota adopted a modified Tipo 64 engine (still of 1,428cc but now with a detachable head) as well as a different Tipo 107 gearbox, in place of the previous tipo 61 and tipo 106.

Tetrajota

Also launched in 1921, the Tetrajota had widened axles front and rear (1.648m fromt and 1.610m rear), carried over to all subsequent models.

Pentajota

In 1924 Lancia replaced Tetrajota with the Pentajota. Available in normale (4.3 m) or corto (short, 3.8 m) wheelbase, with almost 2,200 made it was the most successful model in the series. A Pentajota normale had a loading area of 777 m2 (8,360 sq ft) and could carry 5.3 metric tons of goods, more than twice as much as the first Jota. It introduced to the series four wheel brakes (front pedal-actuated, rear hand brake) and a new 'Tipo 111 gearbox.

Esajota

The Esajota was a very long wheelbase bus chassis (5.180m). It was built in 13 examples during 1926, and was replaced by the dedicated Lancia Omicron in 1927.

Eptajota

The final 1927 Eptajota was available in normale (4.7 m) or allungato (extended, 5.0 m) wheelbase.

Eptajota buses were used for the needs of public transport by ATAG in Rome, as well as in Milan and other towns and cities in Italy.

The photo is from Illustrated London News Nov. 13th 1915 so cannot be a Triota.  Over to the experts of these early Lancias.   

Italy entered the war in May 1915 on the side of the Allies so one wonders whence this vehicle was purchased.  Direct from Italy?  Or perhaps it is a pre-1915 vehicle that was requisitioned.  Curiouser and curiouser.

Iota or Jota (same vehicle)

Main difference from Theta no electric starting so crankcase without the casting to take the starter and no teeth on the flywheel.
As Italy were allies Thetas were purchased as staff cars and Iotas were used extensively by the RNAS.

don

Here is a picture of a Jota engine for sale and clearly displaying its' lack of gear teeth on the flywheel.

Frank T

http://www.autobelle.it/annunci/vendo_motore_e_cambio_ed_altro_lancia_jota_1920_parma_208287.php#photoexpand

The last photo shows flywheel teeth, also the head is detachable (large nuts on top) and the gearbox picture shows central gear lever therefore its a Triota engine and gearbox not Iota. 

Still a good price in spite of the hole if the internals are ok.

So it does! I hadn't thought to look inside the flywheel for the starter gear teeth. Presumably that means it isn't a 1920 engine either.

Frank T

Wiki seems to think Lancia made some very small truck engines back then....  :D

Triota production started in 1921, Iota ceased in 1919, presumably the gap was due to the abundance of war surplus trucks.

1430 cc? Hmm.... they must have been looking forwards to the Appia Furgoncino.

 1,430 mm is actually the rear track, I'm clearly not safe to be let out without adult supervision!  Make that 4,940 cc as the correct figure, same as the Kappa whichused the tipo 64 engine from 1919 to 1921 according to the wiki oracle. Perhaps if this is a 1920 engine it is Kappa rather than Triota?

Frank T

This might be of interest. These were converted for railway use at the Inchicore Railway Works in Dublin. I grew up within the works. There was/is a small estate within the walls of the Works, which housed some of it's employees and families. None of these exist as far as I know, but one of the road versions ended up in the Ulster transport museum. There was one of the rail cars in the works up till the 50's.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/armoured-cars-1/query/inchicore

Incredible! I am stunned by the arcane gems that members can unearth.

Here is a link to the National Archive of Ireland. The army archive also has some information. This is available to the public, if you are interested I could make an appointment to view these, and possibly get more information. There is a lot of interest this year at it's the centenary of the 1916 rising, where these vehicles were utilized. And in later years. War of Independence and Civil War of the 20's

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000194440/Flickr

Some of my friends put in bids for a few of these vehicles when they were sold in the 1960s, but didn't get any. I wonder who got them?
Regards, John

Pettigo is a small village that straddles the border just 23 miles from me.

Unsure about the "Holy Terror" label, though it is a local phrase spoken in the vernacular, again was this its origin or just plucked from a list of phrases of the day?

Its an idle boast........" Found in Pettigo"!!!!


 ;D


P

It seems to have been common to chalk things on the side of these. Also here is a another picture of a rail version.