Lancia D50

Rédaction : Albert Lallement

A brief period in Formula 1

In 1955, encouraged by its previous successes in the sports category, Lancia decided to enter Formula 1, the world's premier racing discipline. But the absence of results from the D50 put Lancia in serious difficulty.

The single-seater designed by engineer Vittorio Jano was, however, a wonder of advanced technology, following in the tradition of Lancia's creations since the very beginning. Despite its outstanding performance, it took a long time to perfect the D50, and despite a few dazzling performances on the track, it failed to win the World Championship. In the middle of the 1955 season, Scuderia Lancia lost its star driver, Alberto Ascari, who had played a key role in the team's success in Grand Prix racing. It was a loss from which it would never recover.

The Ferrari D50 with which Juan-Manuel Fangio was crowned Formula 1 World Champion in 1956 is in fact the single-seater designed by Lancia, two years earlier. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.

When Gianni Lancia took over the family business in 1949, unlike his father Vincenzo, he wanted to make a major commitment to racing. He therefore commissioned engineer Vittorio Jano to set up what would become Scuderia Lancia in 1952. The Aurelia GT, the B20, the D20 berlinetta and the D24 saloon car all enjoyed success in major international events. Racing in sports categories, although rich in technical results, was only a first step for Lancia, whose ultimate ambition was to take part in the Formula 1 World Championship. When the International Sporting Commission announced that, for the 1954 season, the championship would be open to single-seaters with 2.5-litre engines, Lancia decided to take part...

ONLY A FEW GRAND PRIX

In August 1953, Vittorio Jano and his team started work on a single-seater and, in February 1954, a running prototype was displayed in Lancia's workshop in Via Caraglio, Turin. A few days later, the first tests were carried out on the track at Caselle airport, near Turin, first by the in-house test driver Giuseppe Gillio, then by Alberto Ascari, who had signed his contract with Lancia's Squadra Corse on 21 January, at the same time as Luigi Villoresi.

The two champions would not race the Lancia D50 for several months, as the car needed time and effort to perfect the innovative technical solutions adopted by Jano. The Lancia D50 made its debut at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, the last race of the season, where Alberto Ascari immediately took pole position, while Villoresi set the 5th fastest time during practice. After a short battle with Harry Schell's Maserati, Ascari took the lead, giving a masterly demonstration of the D50's handling and roadholding. But the euphoria was short-lived, as a few laps later the two Lancia drivers retired due to clutch failure. Meanwhile, Ascari set the fastest lap of the race. The car entered the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix with a few modifications and a longer wheelbase. All three drivers who took part, Ascari, Villoresi and Castellotti, had to retire. At the following round, in Monaco, the four Lancia cars with Castellotti, Villoresi and Chiron finished 2nd, 5th and 6th, while Ascari finished his race in the port despite being in the lead... Several days later, the great Italian champion and pillar of the Scuderia Lancia was killed during private testing and the race team was shattered.

In this view of the D50 single-seater with open hood, we can see the unique inclined position of the engine which is one of the characteristics of this car. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.

A SECOND CAREER

In the middle of the 1955 season, Lancia decided to give up racing for financial reasons, but also because the results were particularly disappointing despite a powerful car and an excellent sports team... The Belgian Grand Prix, held on 5 June, was the swan song for Scuderia Lancia. Only one D50 was entered with Eugenio Castellotti, who made a last-minute dash for pole position before retiring. It was the last appearance of a Lancia in a grand prix, for after the race Lancia officially announced that the Scuderia Team would not be present in F1 the following season.

But fortunately, this sad decision did not put an end to the career of the powerful D50s, which were sold to Enzo Ferrari. At the same time, a substantial annual subsidy was granted by Fiat, which saw this as an opportunity to fight Mercedes' domination in Formula 1. It was also the perfect way to compensate for the lack of results from the Ferrari 625 and 554 ‘Squalo’ entered that year. So, on 26 July 1955, all six D50 chassis that had been produced, along with a stock of parts, plans and all the team's equipment, were transferred to Maranello. It was accompanied by Lancia's two main race engineers, Vittorio Jano and Luigi Bazzi, the team of mechanics and drivers Eugenio Castellotti and Luigi Villoresi. ‘ Enzo Ferrari was quoted as saying: “They could thank me for accepting this rubbish...”. Which was unfair, because the following season, Argentine driver Juan-Manuel Fangio won his fourth Formula 1 World Championship title driving the Lancia-Ferrari D50.

At the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix, Scuderia Lancia came out in force with four D50 single-seaters lined up. Car No. 30 is that of Eugenio Castellotti who finished 2nd. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.

DATASHEET

Lancia D50 de Formule 1 (1955)

• Engine: Lancia Type D50, 8 cylinders in 90° V, longitudinal front

• Displacement: 2,485.9 cm3

• Bore x stroke: 76 mm x 68.5 mm

• Power: 255 hp at 8,000 rpm

• Fuel supply: 4 Solex 40PII reverse twin-body carburetors

• Ignition: 2 Magneti-Marelli magnetos, coil and distributor

• Distribution: 2 overhead camshafts per bank, 2 valves per cylinder

• Transmission: to the rear wheels, 5-speed transaxle + M.A.

• Tyres: Pirelli 5.50 x 16 (front) and 6.00 x 16 (rear)

• Brakes: ribbed drums (front and rear), hydraulic control

• Length: 3,330 mm

• Width: 1540 mm

• Height: 920 mm

• Wheelbase: 2280 mm

• Front track: 1290 mm

• Rear track: 1330 mm

• Weight (empty): 600 kg

• Maximum speed: 300 km/h

Vittorio Jano

The master craftsman behind the only Formula 1 single-seater produced by Lancia was Vittorio Jano (born 22 April 1891), who joined the Turin-based manufacturer at the end of 1937. This brilliant engineer had previously designed the engines for Alfa Romeo's two particularly successful pre-war single-seaters, the 8-cylinder P2 that won the 1923 world championship and the P3 of 1932, which competed for Scuderia Ferrari over the next two seasons. He also designed a 6-cylinder in-line double overhead camshaft for Alfa, very modern for its time, intended for the sporty 6C 1500 model. For Lancia, Vittorio Jano worked with Francesco De Virgilio on the Aurelia models and the prototype of the future Flaminia. At the same time, he took part in the creation of the Scuderia Lancia in 1952. When Lancia withdrew from competition in 1955, he joined Scuderia Ferrari, where he remained until he passed away on 13 March 1965.