Lancia Tipo da Corsa

A 1910 Lancia Tipo 55 Corsa on display at the National Motor Museum

Key facts

Year

1910
Country

Italy
Capacity

3,119cc
Cylinders

4 cylinder
Performance

75 mph
Price new

Not marketed
Loaned by

Private Owner
Manufacturer

Lancia & Co, Turin

This racing Lancia Tipo 55 Corsa had a short competition career in the USA. The newly built car was shipped to Lancia’s United States distributor the Hol-Tan Company of New York. Billy Knipper drove it in the Massapequa Sweepstake on Long Island on 1st October 1910 and then won the Tiedeman Trophy at Savanna on 11th November. The car passed into private ownership soon after and was at one time used to attend fires by the Fire Chief of Lenox, Massachusetts. It was also used as a recovery vehicle.

Vincenzo Lancia established the Lancia Company in late 1906, having previously worked for Fiat as test driver and works racing driver. He continued to race for Fiat until 1908 while also competing successfully in cars carrying his own name. Lancia retired from racing after winning the ‘Flying mile’ event at Modena in 1910.