In 1963 Lancia presented the new Fulvia sedan to replace the third and final series of the Appia. The new front-wheel drive car, characterized by the all-forward arrangement of its powertrain, required the construction of a new, very compact four-cylinder engine, named type 818.000. To cope with the limited space available, a very narrow V-shaped cylinder arrangement of a bit more than 12 degrees was specifically designed. This allowed the use of a single head and reduced the size of the engine, which was also inclined to the right side of the vehicle to lower the front bonnet overall height. Through various design upgrades and refinements, including the increase in engine displacement and the consequent increase in power, the engine was produced in many series for the Fulvia sedan and for the Fulvia coupé up to 1976. Both Lancia and numerous private developers created various racing models, which were successfully used in many competitions. The engine on display, built in 1966, belongs to the second construction series, named 818.100, introduced in 1964 for the Fulvia 2C sedan. It differs from the first series in the use of two horizontal twin-barrel carburettors instead of a single carburettor, which was replaced for better performance.

Technical specifications