1915 Lancia Theta Hydroplane Runabout

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | June 14, 2023

Lancia has long had a thing for the Greek alphabet. In 1913, when the Theta was introduced, the company also had the smaller Zeta and larger Eta on sale – all four-cylinder cars. The Theta would remain available through 1918. About 1,700 were made.

Power is from a 4.9-liter inline-four that made 70 horsepower. It was a powerful car for its day – and a fast one. The top speed was up to 75 mph. This was also the first European car to be fitted with an electric starter.

This car was sold new in the U.S. and is believed to retain its original American-supplied coachwork. It later resided in the Harrah collection. It returned to the U.K. in 1981 and later received a decades-long refurb that started in the 1990s. It now has an estimate of $150,000-$175,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.