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PortugalTHE LANCIA SAGA
THE LANCIA SAGA
Rédaction : Albert Lallement
THE GOLDEN AGE (1906-1939)
Lancia is one of the oldest and most prestigious Italian car brands. From the very beginning, in 1906, it designed original, avant-garde models that distinguished themselves on both the road and in racing.
The models produced by Lancia have changed the world and they have always enjoyed an image of luxury vehicles, with atypical design and technically far from the average car. In fact, Lancia owners call themselves "Lancistes", like the "Citroënistes", another avant-garde brand. Like Janus, many Lancia cars were two-faced. For instance, saloons like the 1950 Aurelia or elegant coupés like the 1965 Fulvia were transformed into formidable racing cars.
Lancia established its reputation very early on as a manufacturer of convertibles. This 1937 Astura model, designed by Pinin Farina, is one of the most beautiful ever produced by the Turin-based manufacturer. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.
The origins of the brand date back to 29 November 1906, when Vincenzo Lancia (1881-1937), at the time a driver with the Fiat racing team, Claudio Fogolin and David Aupicci founded "Lancia & C. Fabbrica Automobili" in Turin, at the premises of the former manufacturer Itala. From the outset, Lancia adopted the Greek alphabet for the names of its car models. This tradition continued until 1928 with the Dilambda, after which Lancia used the names of ancient Roman roads (Appia, Aurelia, etc.), returning to Greek letters for a short time with the Beta and Gamma models in the 1970s.
The Lancia Lambda launched in 1922 incorporated avant-garde technical solutions that truly paved the way for the modern automotive industry. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.
DRIVER, ENGINEER AND MANUFACTURER
Vincenzo Lancia was born on 24 August 1881 in Fobello, Piedmont. Giovanni Agnelli took him on as a mechanic and tuner at Fiat in 1899. His work in the testing department naturally led him to competition and, from 1900, he became an official driver for the Fiat team. Renowned for his efficient driving style and technical skills, he became a prominent player in Italian motor racing at the turn of the century, with victories in major international events such as the Gordon Bennett Cup, the ACF Grand Prix and the Targa Florio.
He ended his sporting career in 1909 to devote himself fully to his activity as a manufacturer, while remaining a test driver for his own new models. The first official Lancia, named Alfa 12HP, was launched in 1907, based on a prototype that already featured a number of innovations: a lowered, lighter chassis and a cardan drive instead of a chain drive. While the brand was still in its infancy, one of its key technical objectives was to reduce the engine's overall dimensions and vibrations. This was achieved by adopting a V-shaped architecture with cylinder angles reduced to a minimum.
Before building his own cars, Vincenzo Lancia was an excellent racing driver. Here he is at the wheel of a Fiat competing in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.
CONTINUOUSLY INNOVATIVE
Throughout its history, Lancia has regularly been a pioneer, with numerous patents that have profoundly transformed the automotive industry. The Turin-based brand innovated with techniques that were rapidly adopted by its competitors, including independent wheel suspension, the V-cylinder engine and the self-supporting monocoque structure. This technique was used for the first time on the Lambda of 1922, a revolutionary model considered emblematic of Lancia's innovative spirit and a major technological milestone in the history of the global car industry.
The following decade was a period in which Lancia paid even greater attention to the comfort of its cars, adopting an innovative engine mounting system that allowed the engine to oscillate unhindered in order to reduce the vibrations transmitted to the chassis and bodywork. The Artena and Astura, and later the Aprilia, all featured these solutions. At the same time, at the start of the 1930s, Lancia launched its line of mid-range saloons with the Augusta, followed by the Ardea and Appia. Vincenzo Lancia died of a heart attack on 15 February 1937, and the company entered a transitional period during which it was run by Adele Lancia, the founder's widow. During the Second World War, Lancia's production lines were required by the army. Once peace had been restored, Vincenzo's son Gianni Lancia, a trained engineer aged just 23, took over the family business in 1947. A new era was about to dawn, full of innovation but also with financial troubles.
The V-shaped architecture is one of the special features of Lancia's pre-war engines. Pictured here is a cross section of the B10 V6 engine fitted to the Aurelia. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.
The "modern" Lancia emblem with the spear and steering wheel appeared on the grilles of the Kappa and Lambda models from 1922. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.
Lancia acronyms and names
At the creation of the Lancia brand in 1906, the acronym chosen was a simple inscription in white letters on a black rectangle. The following year, it was replaced by a more distinctive gold lettering. The acronym still used today, after numerous changes, was introduced in 1911. It was designed by Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, a friend and designer of Vincenzo Lancia. This historic logo consists of a flag with a blue background, on which Lancia is written in gold, and is supported by a staff in the shape of a spear (lancia in Italian), which in turn rests on a four-spoke steering wheel with a white background.
From 1922 it began to appear on the front grilles of Lancia cars, and in 1929 it took on its most final shape, with the entire logo now encased in a blue coat of arms. From the outset, Lancia adopted the Greek alphabet for the names of its car models. This tradition continued until the Dilambda of 1928, when Lancia used the names of ancient Roman roads (Appia, Aurelia, etc.), before returning temporarily to Greek letters with the Beta and Gamma models in the 1970s.
A V-SHAPED ENGINE TRADITION
Very early on, a large number of the models designed by Lancia were distinguished by an engine with a V-shaped architecture offering a small opening angle, starting with the original 45° model patented in 1918 and culminating in the world record of 13.6° with the Lambda (1922). This was the trademark of the Turin-based company (used without interruption from 1918 until 1976!), as intended by its creator Vincenzo Lancia, who saw this original configuration as a symbol of balance and density. Later, when his son Gianni Lancia took over the management of the family business, he continued this avant-garde approach with models such as the Aurelia, introduced in 1950 as an effective synthesis of the best technical concepts developed by the Italian brand up to that point.
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