TURIN (ITALPRESS) – On Wednesday, Nov. 27, the Lancia Brand celebrates its 118th anniversary, an important milestone that tells a long story of passion, style and innovation. For the occasion, the brand has created a celebratory video highlighting that common thread linking some icons of the past with the New Ypsilon, as well as a series of initiatives that will involve Lancia employees at production sites in Italy, France and Spain.In particular, the celebrations will be held at Lancia’s Turin headquarters, specifically in Via Plava, where employees will be able to both celebrate this anniversary together with top management and get to know up close the New Ypsilon displayed at the entrance to the headquarters, interacting directly with colleagues who worked on the project. The same involvement of the Lancia family will be seen at the Lancia plants in Zaragoza (Spain) and Poissy (France), in a symbolic embrace between those who continue every day, with commitment and pride, to write a new page in Lancia’s history. Without forgetting that in Lancia’s Renaissance, a key role is played by the new and exclusive Casa Lancia showrooms, which today number 160 in Italy while, by 2025, they will reach a total of 70 distributed in the main cities of France, Spain, Belgium-Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany.Declares Luca Napolitano, CEO of the Lancia brand: “I am proud to celebrate this anniversary that marks another piece of our legendary history, made of timeless elegance, technological innovation and sporting supremacy. In these 118 years of history, Lancia has created beautiful, innovative and distinctly Italian cars that, despite the passage of time, continue to be in people’s hearts. “By going to one of the 160 Lancia Houses in Italy, in addition to enjoying a premium customer experience, visitors can discover the unmissable financial offer that, until Nov. 30, allows them to get behind the wheel of the New Ypsilon Hybrid right away with a monthly installment of 200 euros for 48 months. Alternatively, the New Ypsilon Electric is available at 200 euros for 36 months. In both cases, the first payment will be made after 90 days. At the end of the financing, the customer can choose to replace, keep or return the vehicle.The brand was founded in Turin on November 27, 1906, by Vincenzo Lancia and Claudio Fogolin, both Fiat employees and car enthusiasts. Vincenzo was already well known in automotive circles, thanks to several sports victories achieved behind the wheel of Fiat cars. The first car produced in 1908 was the Lancia 12 HP, a car decidedly out of the box for the time with a low and light chassis, equipped with a shaft drive instead of chains, and which became a real success for the time with more than 100 units sold. Lancia’s fame grew and the brand survived the First World War, at the end of which other great models followed, including the Lambda, Augusta, and Aprilia. After World War II, in 1950 Lancia presented the Aurelia, the first car in the world to mount a V6 engine: a model that triumphed in several competitions and prompted Gianni Lancia, Vincenzo’s son, to found a racing department dedicated to road racing that would be called Scuderia Lancia.In 1956 the brand focused on high-end cars: the iconic cars of the 1960s were the Flaminia and Flavia, the first Italian car with a front engine and front-wheel drive. In the early 1970s, it resumed the sports department, which, with the Stratos, the 037 and then the Delta, would dominate the world of rallying for more than 20 years and allow Lancia to enter the Olympus of Motorsport: 15 World Rally Championships, three World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championships, a 1000 miles, two Targa Florios and a Carrera Panamericana.Outside the sports sphere, the small Y10 debuted at the 1985 Geneva Motor Show, revolutionizing the concept of the classy city car. The Ypsilon soon became a highly successful car, as evidenced by more than 37 special series, 4 generations and the title of leader in Italy in its segment. And since last April the baton has passed to the New Ypsilon, the progenitor of the new era of Lancia with the sinuous shapes inspired by the models that have written the history of the brand, just as the round taillights are a clear reference to the Lancia Stratos. Not to mention that it is the first Stellantis production car equipped with the S.A.L.A. system, the virtual, intelligent interface that ensures a comfortable driving experience consistent with Lancia’s effortless technology. In addition, the Italian brand’s new creation is also best-in-class in the premium B hatchback segment, thanks to the most comprehensive equipment in the category, large 10.25″ display, best standard parking aid system, richest exterior lighting system in terms of technology and extension, as well as the only model in the segment equipped with Level 2 Autonomous Driving as standard equipment on the Cassina version.Lancia’s design has always been not aesthetics for its own sake but the ultimate expression of “Italian style,” or rather a unique combination of classic elegance, creativity and passion. This approach gives rise to cars with sophisticated design, never tied to pure creative whimsy, always aiming to remove excess until beauty is found in the purity of form and content. It is no coincidence that some Lancia cars have entered the collective imagination: from the Aurelia to the Flaminia, from the Fulvia to the Beta HPE, from the Gamma to the Delta, from the Stratos to the 037. Very different models, some the child of a graceful and elegant design, others of a brutal and efficient design, but all united by a style capable of going beyond space and time, which still makes them beautiful, contemporary and an expression of a typically Italian design. Moreover, Lancia styling often “dressed” innovation with refinement, as evidenced by the closet opening of the doors, without the center pillar, patented starting in the 1930s and a forerunner for the times of later innovations. Or even to the Aprilia, which was born from the extraordinary idea of applying aerodynamics to a compact production car. For Lancia we are talking about craftsmanship and attention to detail, characteristics that have always distinguished each model, both in the interior and exterior, as with the iconic Aurelia B24 Spider, with its lines purified of all superfluous elements, without the handles and with the doors opening from the inside, so as not to “disturb” its perfect line. Lancia was also an icon of Italian style with the Thema 8.32 powered by a Ferrari engine, fine leather interiors and the dashboard totally in briarwood. And today the New Ypsilon brings to debut a new design language, combining tradition and innovation, inspired by the fluidity of the historic Aurelia and Flaminia, with a touch of sportiness taken from the legendary Stratos and Delta. The Lancia Style Center also played on contrasts, combining pure, sensual forms with bolder elements. Distinctive details of the New Ypsilon include a modern reinterpretation of Lancia’s goblet grille and Stratos-inspired taillights. The interior also reflects Italian elegance, with refined choices such as the coffee table and fine materials, including leather and recycled velvets with ribbed textures.Lancia’s history is deeply intertwined with the evolution of its logo and the naming of its models, reflecting the brand’s identity and values. The first logo, introduced in 1907, featured the words ‘Lancià in white on a dark background, with a prominent ‘L’ and essential styling. In 1911, Vincenzo Lancia decided to entrust the creation of a new emblem to Count Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, who introduced elements such as the four-spoke steering wheel, rectangular flag and lance-shaped pole, perfectly representing the brand’s philosophy. This design was officially adopted in 1922. In 1929, the logo underwent a further transformation, adding a triangular shield around the steering wheel and establishing a lasting color combination of blue, white and gold. In 1957, with the introduction of the Lancia Flaminia, the logo was again redesigned, adopting a more modern, stylized aesthetic with simple geometric shapes and a blue-silver two-tone. Later, in 1969, following the acquisition of Lancia by the Fiat Group, the logo underwent another deep redesign that brought back the rectangular shape, but with a modern twist to the original 1907 design. The 1972 Beta was the first car to sport this new emblem. In 1981, designer Massimo Vignelli reinterpreted the logo, stylizing the traditional elements and reducing the color palette to alternating blue and white. In 2007, the logo was further evolved for greater essentiality, retaining the shield and blue color, but simplifying the design of the steering wheel and removing the spear with the flag. The naming of the models also reflected the history of the brand. Initially, the cars were identified by fiscal horsepower, such as 12 HP and 18/24 HP, but in 1919 Vincenzo Lancia, at the suggestion of his brother Giovanni, decided to use the letters of the Greek alphabet to give his cars a stronger identity, introducing the Kappa and continuing with models such as the Lambda and Dilambda. In the 1930s, the names changed, inspired by historic locations in ancient Rome, such as Artena, Astura, Augusta, Aprilia and Ardea. During the 1950s and 1960s, under the leadership of Gianni Lancia, models were named after Roman consular roads, such as Aurelia, Appia, Flaminia, Flavia and Fulvia. In the 1970s and 1980s, after the takeover by Fiat, there was a return to the use of Greek letters with models such as Beta, Gamma and Delta, continuing the classical tradition. In the early 2000s, this tradition was reflected in models such as Thesis, Phedra, and the third generation of the Delta in 2008, leading up to the Ypsilon of 2020 and the current New Ypsilon, which brings to debut a new logo that reinterprets in a modern key all the distinctive elements of the historic brand-the steering wheel, flag, shield, spear, and lettering-to project them into the future. These constituent elements of the brand are the symbols of Lancia’s nobility and heritage, simplified in terms of lines and shapes and positioned in a new balance, capable of expressing innovation, premiumness and Italian-ness with a touch of eclecticism, given by the asymmetrical lance.Celebrating Lancia’s birthday inevitably means remembering its extraordinary successes in the world of rallies, which allowed it to enter the Olympus of Motorsport with 15 World Rally Championships, three World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championships, and victories in prestigious competitions such as the 1000 Miglia, the Targa Florio, and the Carrera Panamericana. The 1970s and 1980s were the brand’s golden age, with legendary models such as the Stratos, 037, and Delta dominating rallies for more than two decades. Lancia, even in the early years, watched these competitions with interest, knowing that they were perfect for showcasing the handling and performance qualities of its cars. Founder Vincenzo Lancia already loved racing, winning several competitions between 1908 and 1909, but he later abandoned racing to concentrate on the production of road cars. However, in 1951, Gianni Lancia decided to bring the brand back into racing, founding the Scuderia Lancia, with the galloping elephant as its emblem. Between 1954 and 1955, the single-seater Lancia D50 participated in Formula 1, marking the last chapter of that sporting phase. In the 1960s, Lancia officially returned to rallies with the Squadra Corse Lancia and the red elephant emblem accompanied by the HF (High Fidelity) emblem. 1974 marked the debut of the Lancia Stratos HF, the first car designed specifically for Rally, with the goal of being unbeatable on any terrain. Equipped with Dino Ferrari’s 2.4-liter V6, the Stratos HF proved unrivaled, winning three consecutive world titles between 1974 and 1976. In 1983, the Lancia Rally 037 won the World Rally Championship, remaining the last rear-wheel drive car to triumph in a world championship, even challenging the advance of all-wheel drive cars such as the fearsome Audi Quattro. After its experience with powerful Group B cars, Lancia set its sights on the all-wheel-drive Delta HF 4WD, which debuted in 1987 and dominated the rally scene for six years. The Delta HF 4WD and its later versions, the Delta HF Integrale and the Integrale 16V, collected ten world titles, with six in the Constructors’ and four in the Drivers’ standings, as well as 46 overall victories out of 66 world race appearances. The Lancia Delta remains the most successful car in rally history, leaving an indelible mark on the world of motorsport. And today, the New Ypsilon Rally4 HF is ready to take the field in 2025, when the brand will make its return to motorsport, with the aim of reaffirming its presence in contemporary motorsports and, at the same time, paying homage to the brand’s glorious rallying history.Lancia is a symbol of the Italian culture of the ‘beautiful and well-made,’ beloved by movie stars, models, writers and artists. Lancia cars have been featured in legendary films and elegant and refined communication campaigns. The relationship between Lancia and cinema began at the beginning of the last century, when its cars appeared in Torino’s silent films, particularly in the ‘white telephones’ films, representing a symbol of modernity and dreams beyond the ‘thousand liras a month’. In the 1950s, the link between Lancia and the ‘seventh artè became indissoluble. It is the era of the ‘Dolce Vita’ and Rome is the center of cinema and the international jet-set. Via Veneto is the beating heart of glamour and many movie stars choose Lancia for their unmistakable style. Claudia Cardinale, Anita Ekberg and Jean Paul Belmondo drive models such as the Aurelia and Appia, while Marcello Mastroianni chooses his Flaminia Coupè Super Sport Zagato. Brigitte Bardot drives Lancia between Cortina and the French Riviera, fascinated by the Aurelia B24, Flaminia and Flavia Convertible. Even Ernest Hemingway, during his chronicle on bullfights for Life magazine, travels in a Lancia Aurelia B21, a traveling companion in ‘A Dangerous Summer. In 1962, the Aurelia B24 convertible became the star of Dino Risi’s film ‘Il sorpassò,’ becoming the most famous car in Italian cinema. Even in the following years, Lancia cars continued to shine in cinema. The Fulvia Coupè appears in Dario Argento’s ‘Profondo Rossò,’ while the Lancia Delta is driven by Alain Delon in ‘Pour la peau d’un flic.’ Recently, Lancia cars have been used in famous films such as Woody Allen’s ‘To Rome with Lovè’ and Ron Howard’s ‘Angels & Demons,’ where the Delta plays an important role. A symbol of Italian creativity and elegance, Lancia also stands out for its advertising communication style, always sophisticated and respectful of the brand’s soul. Commercials signed by Gabriele Muccino and accompanied by the music of Ennio Morricone are true short films that maintain their relevance over time. The testimonials chosen by Lancia have further increased the love for the brand, including Stefano Gabbana, Richard Gere and Carla Bruni. These celebrities, as ambassadors of Lancia elegance, have helped make the brand iconic around the world, turning into ‘Very Ypsilon People.” And how can we forget the last appearance of a Lancia on the silver screen? We are talking, of course, about the film “Race for Glory,” starring Riccardo Scamarcio, which tells the story of the 1983 World Rally Championship that saw the Lancia Team led by Cesare Fiorio and the 037 confront a fearsome adversary in a real David and Goliath battle, resulting in one of the greatest challenges in the history of the sport.
– Lancia press office photo –
(ITALPRESS).
