THE LANCIA SAGA

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.

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.

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.

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.