Lancia introduced the Astura in 1931 as a more affordable vehicle for the masses.
The car was constantly upgraded, almost yearly.

The Astura broke Vincenzo Lancia’s ambition to name its cars after the Greek alphabet. After 1922, when the Fascist party of Benito Mussolini won the elections, a strong nationalist movement conquered the country. Lancia thought that it would be wiser to use the name from an Italian island, where ancient Roman villas were built.

The Astura was offered either as a complete vehicle or as a chassis. It was usual for the carmakers to do that, and for the customers to hire coachbuilders to finish their vehicles. The 1933 model was offered as a complete car by Lancia. It was a sedan with four doors that offered enough interior room and style to be considered a premium vehicle. At the front, Lancia installed the electric headlights on the same rim that supported the radiator grille, with its vertical slats.

Regardless of the car was sold as a chassis or complete vehicle, Lancia fitted the car with a three-spoke steering wheel and a dash-panel. The dials were installed in the middle. Vincenzo Lancia considered that the driver should have an individual seat and didn’t want to install benches at the front. Moreover, the gearstick was on the floor, next to a lever needed for a fixed accelerator position.

The Astura 1933 was built for a year until 1934, and the latter models featured hydraulic brakes, while the former ones were fitted with cables for the four-drum braking system. Under the hood, Lancia installed a V8 engine for the Astura. A similar-shaped vehicle, but with an inline-four unit, was built especially for authorities and police forces.