The Most Underrated Italian Military Vehicle: The Lancia 1Z

The Lancia 1Z was one of the earliest Italian WW1 armoured cars to see widespread service during the WW1, emerging at a time when mobility, firepower, and protection had to be combined in ways no military had yet perfected. This documentary examines the engineering, doctrine, and battlefield pressures that shaped its development, revealing how Italy adapted the commercial Lancia Theta chassis into a fast, multi-gun weapons platform suited to the challenges of modern warfare.

Through eight detailed acts, we explore the manufacturing techniques behind its overlapping armour plates, the engineering logic of its turret system, and the operational reality that defined its use across Europe and beyond. From mountain roads to open plains, the 1Z demonstrated strengths and limitations that influenced interwar armoured doctrine, foreign procurement, and early mechanised tactics. The vehicle’s legacy spread through the lessons it taught engineers—showing how lightweight armour, adaptable commercial powertrains, and concentrated suppressive firepower could reshape battlefield mobility.

This episode draws on world war one imagery to show the Lancia 1Z in action, in training, and in later service abroad, offering a clear view of how early armoured cars helped define the evolution of military vehicles in the 20th century.

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Images:
111-SC-21990_-NARA-55203676-cropped.jpg – U.S. National Archives, Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Lancia_1Z_mit_3x_Maxim_MG.jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Ansaldo_Lancia_1Z_a_les_portes_de_Màlaga.jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
WWI-Battle_of_Vittorio_Veneto-Italian_Ansaldo-Lancia_1Z_in_Innsbruck.jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
WWI-Battle_of_Vittorio_Veneto-Italian_Ansaldo-Lancia_1Z_armored_car.jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Italian_Army-World_War_I-Italian_troops_with_Lancia_1Z_trucks,1916.jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Ruo_ita_LanciaIZ.jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
111-SC-22242-NARA-55204184-cropped.jpg – U.S. National Archives, Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Zapuščeni_italijanski_oklopni_avtomobili.jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
B.19-Guerra-Civil-Dic.1938-Alcano.jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Zajęcie_przez_wojska_niemieckie_greckiej_wyspy_Samos(2-618).jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Armored_car_model_in_the_Musée_des_Blindés,France,pic-2.JPG – Musée des Blindés, Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Reservat_Erbeutetes_ital.Panzerauto_J.F.Lanzia_6.8.18.(BildID_15621463).jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Erbeutete_itl.Panzerautomobile_bei_S.Tommaso.(BildID_15507045).jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Autos-blindées_italiennes-_btv1b6946722t.jpg – Bibliothèque nationale de France, Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain
Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-005-0006-17,_Jugoslawien,_italienischer_Panzerspähwagen.jpg – Deutsches Bundesarchiv, Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Lancia_iz-figurino.jpg – Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia – License: Public Domain

The Lancia 1Z, a formidable early armored vehicle, navigated the brutal conditions of World War 1 with remarkable resilience. This military history piece examines how this rugged machine, a true testament to early engineering, served as a vital part of the military vehicles on the chaotic front lines. Its design and operational presence carved out a significant legacy in the history of armored vehicles, influencing future military developments.