A true milestone in automotive history, the Lancia Lambda's combination of sliding pillar independent front suspension and rigid pressed steel intregal chassis construction gives ride and handling qualities unmatched at the time and good even today. The single o.h.c. engine was innovative, designed as a narrow-angle staggered V-4 of amazingly compact construction and progenitor of a long line of refined Lancia engines. 8th Series engine capacity increased 209cc to 2,579cc and output by 7bhp to 65bhp. In the austere period after WWII when cars were expensive and steel was in short supply, re-bodying a pre-war car was quite common. The sought after 8th Series no longer incorporated structural body sides, making life easier for specialist coachbuilders. Separate chassis absence also enabled a lower driving position and aerodynamic bodyline to be achieved.