Lancia Motor Club

The choice of tyres for the Augusta seems to be between  Michelin X  or Cinturato radials 165 x 400 or Michelin SSC Superconfort 140 x 40 cross ply.
There is also Michelin X in size 145 x 400 but that seems a bit small in diameter. A few quick sums show that the overall effect measured by mph per 1000 rpm in top gear is:

Michelin X   145 x 400       15.4   mph/1000rpm
Michelin X   165 x 400       16.05 mph/1000rpm

Michelin SSC 140 X 40       16.75 mph/1000rpm

So the cross ply, which is the original size fitted when new is effectively slightly higher geared, which on today's roads is probably a good thing. It would also be VSCC eligible which the radials are not.

My question is does anyone have experience to compare the driving of an Augusta on crossply and on radials?

Mike

I have driven several Augusta equipped with radials (Michelin X, 165X400) and SSC supercomfort 140X40.

My choice always is Michelin X, 165X400. Once I had the Pirelli Cinturato fitted, but that was not convincing. The Michelin X 145X400 is definitly too small.

The Michelin X, in my opinion, is superior to the cross play in comfort and road holding. My tyre pressure is 1,9 bar, 27 PSI.

I wish to remind that, in case of the Augusta, the tyres have to be removed and installed from the rear side of the rim in contrary to modern rims.

Regards

Karl

The "Superconfort" (as they have it in the link below) is such an lovely tread pattern.

https://classic.michelin.com/en/Classic-Tyre-range

With the Xs it always seems odd to have an 850kg 35bhp Augusta on the same size tyres as a 1200kg 118bhp Aurelia, but exciting to think "which would win a race DOWN the mountain..."   Got the live rear axle, but great brakes and not all that much weight up top.  Brilliant steering and visibility, narrow.

I've a foggy memory of the VSCC permitting radials when fitted originally, but the X was the first and post war so that can't be right.  They used to permit radials on Austin 7s, they might still do so for the racing cars but I'm very much out of touch.  There's a chance they'd still give you an entry in rallies on radials, can but ask, as long as you promised not to win.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radial_tire

My other foggy memory is that the 2CV was a 400 when it first came out. 

Interesting to see the Stratos as the first with a "wide radial tyre".  Can anyone tell the full story of that one?

I have crossply on my Augusta - and have had from the rebuild - and so I have no experience of radials. My own feeling is that the Augusta is more affected than any of the other Lancias by tarmac imperfections and is more likely to wander. I have always thought it was the tyres and not the car. Having said that, the Augusta is many, many times nicer to drive than the Hands which is on 3" wide cycle tyres!!

I havecrossplies on my Belna, wheels rebuilt to 15" when metrics were not available.  Have had Augustas since the 1960s and always been on cross plies never had any problems. 

Don

I fitted a set of Michelin X 165 x 400 and had a couple of trial runs. The tyres (and wheels) ran impressively true on Longstone's balancing machine. It was interesting to see that Lancia had welded a steel balance weight on the inner side of the rim to compensate for the assymetrical Michelin well base rim.

On the road -the balance is fine, it runs straight  with no shimmy or anything odd and the cornering and roadholding are phenomenal for a saloon car of 1936. The tyres on the car when it arrived looked new but were probably more than 20 years old, hence the swap for new.

Mike

Has anyone easy access to the photo of an Augusta on full lock, perhaps at a VSCC driving test.  It might have been the original Earl of March who described them as "like polo ponies".