Designed in the late 1930s for the Lancia Ardea, the new entry-level model unveiled in 1939, the Type 100 is the smallest narrow-angle V engine produced by the company. This configuration, which remained a hallmark of Lancia engine design for many years, allows an overall length reduction of the engine and the use of a single cylinder head for both banks of cylinders. Although the Type 100 retained the hemispherical combustion chambers of the earlier Lancia Aprilia engine, it introduced a new valve train arrangement, in which all eight valves are operated by a single overhead camshaft through eight short pushrods and an equal number of rocker arms. During its production life, the engine underwent several design modifications, culminating in the final version, named Type 100B. Introduced in 1949 with the fourth series of the Ardea, this latest version featured a new aluminium-alloy cylinder head, a higher compression ratio, and a higher maximum power output of 30 hp. The Type 100 B engine on display is fitted with a rare inlet manifold manufactured by Nardi & C. of Turin, allowing two carburettors to be used in place of the single one fitted as standard.

Technical specifications