The Appia is the smaller sister to the Aurelia, but with no concessions to quality and refinement. It is very similar in styling but with an 1100 cc narrow-V engine and a live rear axle supported on leaf springs. The Appia engine is one of the most compact engines Lancia ever made. With an included angle of only 10°14’ and by using a crankshaft supported on only two main bearings, the cylinders could be placed even closer together. Two camshafts are fitted high in the crankcase activating the inclined valves via pushrods and rockers. Although the Appia lacks the glamour of the Aurelia, commercially it was much more important for Lancia and the Vatican bought a small fleet of them for its clerics.

Unlike the Fulvia, the Appia’s successor, relatively few coupe’s were built on the Appia platform. Pininfarina made a Coupé with a distinctive V-shaped B pillar (a very clever design) and Vignale made the Convertible and the very rare Lusso. Most striking are the Zagato-designed GT, GTE and Sport with an aluminium body. But the elegant Zagatos were not as successful in motor sport as the Aurelia was. The smaller Appia engine was invariably outclassed by Alfa Romeo with their 1300 cc Giulietta.