Lancia Club Queensland
Who was Vincenzo Lancia?
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Vincenzo Lancia was born in the small village of Fobello on 24 August 1881, close to Turin. He was the youngest of four children, his father being a soup canner who made his money in Argentina before returning to Turin to start his business.
The young Vincenzo was well-educated and from an early age he showed a gift with numbers. His father had plans for him to become the bookkeeper for the family business. While attending a technical college in Turin, Lancia lived in a townhouse owned by his father. Also occupying the house were Giovanni Battista Ceirano and an engineer, Aristide Faccioli. The duo was building bicycles and light cars under the name Welleyes. He developed an interest in machinery and engineering and was fascinated with the new motor car. In a twist of fate, in 1898, Lancia became the bookkeeper for the two entrepreneurs rather than for his father. However, it was soon apparent that Lancia had more skill diagnosing mechanical problems than filling out a ledger. Faccioli recognized this talent and taught Lancia mechanical design. He continued developing his skills at engineering, design and construction, and developed patience, perseverance and determination. Soon he could tackle most problems single-handedly. Once Lancia was sent to help Count Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, who owned a Benz. When they met in February 1899, they quickly became friends. He was to become important in Lancia's later career and was credited with the design of the now familiar Lancia logo (1911).
Fiat bought out Welleyes in 1899, and the young Lancia was hired as the chief factory inspector and was also their test driver. His driving impressed the Fiat bosses, and he was invited to drive their cars in races. His racing abilities soon came to light as Lancia won the first speed trial he entered at Padua on July 1, 1900, at age 19. Next, Lancia led the first lap of the first French Grand Prix at Le Mans with a time of 53 minutes 42 seconds. He was an exceptionally fast driver, often fastest of all, but often suffered mechanical failures. In 1906, Vincenzo Lancia won the Gold Cup in Milan driving the Fiat 28-40 HP. Vincenzo Lancia was a better driver than the records show, but not a lucky one. He tried hard, perhaps too hard.
While it was evident that Lancia possessed many talents, he was a terror on the racetracks and more than once broke his car before the race, but still managed to win 19 overall and class victories in 10 years of racing. He resigned from Fiat in 1906, because what he wanted his independence, something he had dreamed about for years.
In later years, he married his secretary Adele Miglietti, with whom he had three children: Anna Maria, Gianni and Eleonora.
Lancia Motor Co
Foundation and early years
Lancia & C. Fabbrica Automobili was founded on 27 November 1906 in Turin by Fiat racing drivers, Vincenzo Lancia and his friend, Claudio Fogolin. The first car manufactured by Lancia was the "Tipo 51" or "12 HP" (later called "Alfa"), which remained in production from 1907 to 1908. It had a small four-cylinder engine with a power output of 28 PS (21 kW; 28 hp). The first Lancias were criticised for chassis lightness and high engine revs, but more than 100 were sold. The London agents in particular, did good business. Vincenzo Lancia moved the works to larger premises in Turin. In 1908 he released the Lancia Dialfa, powered by one of the first production six-cylinder engines. It was a 3.8-litre unit developed from the Alfa's four, and it propelled the Dialfa at nearly 110 km/h. But the car was too far ahead of its time; buyers shied off and only 23 were made.
In 1909 Lancia produced the Beta, with a four-cylinder 3.1-litre monobloc engine. This car and the Gamma that followed established the Lancia formula of a willing four-cylinder engine of advanced design in a low-slung light chassis. Lancia built 250 Gammas and expanded premises again. By then Lancia had given up his racing career for good, and despite his cars' fine performance he never let his company become involved in motor sport. While at Fiat he'd seen that running a works competition department put a strain on factory resources and drew the best brains away from the central issue of road car production. This didn't stop private owners, of course. In 1910, Lancia components were exported to the United States where they were assembled and sold as SGVs by the SGV Company. Over the next few years Lancia produced a succession of models and introduced a dry-plate clutch and a standardised electrical layout. The 25/35 hp Theta arrived in 1913; nearly 1700 were built. In 1919, the Kappa was a regular Lancia, fast, neat and light, and it became a big seller. The Dikappa of 1921 was a high-performance Kappa. The Tri-kappa of 1922 was a big luxury car with a 4.5-litre V8 engine.
In 1909 Lancia produced the Beta, with a four-cylinder 3.1-litre monobloc engine. This car and the Gamma that followed established the Lancia formula of a willing four-cylinder engine of advanced design in a low-slung light chassis. Lancia built 250 Gammas and expanded premises again. By then Lancia had given up his racing career for good, and despite his cars' fine performance he never let his company become involved in motor sport. While at Fiat he'd seen that running a works competition department put a strain on factory resources and drew the best brains away from the central issue of road car production. This didn't stop private owners, of course. In 1910, Lancia components were exported to the United States where they were assembled and sold as SGVs by the SGV Company. Over the next few years Lancia produced a succession of models and introduced a dry-plate clutch and a standardised electrical layout. The 25/35 hp Theta arrived in 1913; nearly 1700 were built. In 1919, the Kappa was a regular Lancia, fast, neat and light, and it became a big seller. The Dikappa of 1921 was a high-performance Kappa. The Tri-kappa of 1922 was a big luxury car with a 4.5-litre V8 engine.
First Lancia Factory, Turin
Lancia Alfa
Lambda - Vincenzo's Masterpiece
The other Lancia of 1922 was Vincenzo Lancia's masterpiece ... the Lambda. It appeared in October at the Paris and London motor shows. For the first time, a car's chassis and body frame were made as one unit. They formed a light, rigid, strong hollow box of sheet metal and struts.
The floor of the passenger space was the bottom of the body box, not a deck over the chassis, so the Lambda's body line was low, good for stability and nice to look at. For the first time, the propeller shaft ran in a tunnel humped under the seats. The tapered tail was a closed box that resisted body strain and gave luggage space. The 2120 cm3 engine was a narrow V-four with its cylinders staggered and set at a 20-degree angle. Aluminium pistons ran in aluminium cylinders with steel liners. It made 3250 rpm, which was notably fast for the day. The other big innovation in the Lambda was independent front suspension, with vertical coils replacing the old solid axle's leaf spring. This gave it even better stability, good handling, and a smooth ride.
The Lambda was a big car, but it was light, strong and powerful. Vincenzo Lancia himself road-tested it and took his design team out to dinner afterwards. When it went on sale, its looks, handling, and performance offset minor qualms about its structural strength. It turned out to be a rugged car in the long run, anyway. Lancia didn't mean the Lambda for a sports car, but with 49 hp it could reach 114 km/h when most cars in its class couldn't reach 95. As late as 1928, a standard Lambda came close to winning the Mille Miglia from a supercharged Alfa Romeo. It became the basic Lancia car until 1931, and about 13,000 were built in nine series.
The floor of the passenger space was the bottom of the body box, not a deck over the chassis, so the Lambda's body line was low, good for stability and nice to look at. For the first time, the propeller shaft ran in a tunnel humped under the seats. The tapered tail was a closed box that resisted body strain and gave luggage space. The 2120 cm3 engine was a narrow V-four with its cylinders staggered and set at a 20-degree angle. Aluminium pistons ran in aluminium cylinders with steel liners. It made 3250 rpm, which was notably fast for the day. The other big innovation in the Lambda was independent front suspension, with vertical coils replacing the old solid axle's leaf spring. This gave it even better stability, good handling, and a smooth ride.
The Lambda was a big car, but it was light, strong and powerful. Vincenzo Lancia himself road-tested it and took his design team out to dinner afterwards. When it went on sale, its looks, handling, and performance offset minor qualms about its structural strength. It turned out to be a rugged car in the long run, anyway. Lancia didn't mean the Lambda for a sports car, but with 49 hp it could reach 114 km/h when most cars in its class couldn't reach 95. As late as 1928, a standard Lambda came close to winning the Mille Miglia from a supercharged Alfa Romeo. It became the basic Lancia car until 1931, and about 13,000 were built in nine series.
Lambda Torpedo
Aprilia
Next, Lancia started planning the Aprilia light sedan. This was to be another popular car, but it had nearly as many novel features as the Lambda. It followed the Lancia formula of a light structure and a small, powerful engine, and it emerged as a mildly streamlined sedan with a 1351 cm3 V4 engine, developing about 48 hp at 4300 rpm, and independent suspension all round. The Aprilia was road-tested in late 1935 and early 1936. Vincenzo Lancia was tied up with other problems and took no part in the tests until they were nearly over. He went as a passenger in the unfamiliar car and pointed out a few errors of detail to the mechanics with him. But near the end, at the outskirts of Turin, he threw up his hands. "What a magnificent car," he said.
The final version of the prototype was approved, and orders were taken for it. But Vincenzo Lancia didn't live to see the first Aprilia come off the produciton line. He died suddenly on February 15, 1937, of a heart attack, at only 55 years old. The Aprilia stayed in production until 1949, and there wasn't a completely new Lancia model until 1950. The Lancia company stayed in the hands of his wife, Adele, and son, Gianni, a graduate engineer, until 1955, sticking to the course that Vincenzo had laid out. They persuaded Vittorio Jano to join as an engineer. Jano had already made a name for himself by designing various Alfa Romeo models.
The final version of the prototype was approved, and orders were taken for it. But Vincenzo Lancia didn't live to see the first Aprilia come off the produciton line. He died suddenly on February 15, 1937, of a heart attack, at only 55 years old. The Aprilia stayed in production until 1949, and there wasn't a completely new Lancia model until 1950. The Lancia company stayed in the hands of his wife, Adele, and son, Gianni, a graduate engineer, until 1955, sticking to the course that Vincenzo had laid out. They persuaded Vittorio Jano to join as an engineer. Jano had already made a name for himself by designing various Alfa Romeo models.
Aprilia Berlina
Aurelia
The Lancia Aurelia, Gianni Lancia’s own masterpiece, was produced from 1950 to the summer of 1958. It is noted for using one of the first series-production V6 engines. Several body styles were offered: 4-door saloon, 2-door GT coupé (B20), 2-door spider/convertible (B24), and a chassis to be custom bodied by external coachbuilders.
Establishing a post-war Lancia tradition, the car was named after a Roman road: the Via Aurelia, leading from Rome to Pisa.
The Aurelia was designed under the direction of engineer Vittorio Jano. Its engine was the first production V6, a 60° design developed by Francesco de Virgilio, who was between 1943 and 1948 a Lancia engineer, and who worked under Jano. During production, capacity grew from 1.8 L to 2.5 L. It was an all-alloy pushrod design with a single camshaft between the cylinder banks. A hemispherical combustion chamber and in-line valves were used. A single Solex or Weber carburettor completed the engine. Some uprated 1,991 cc models were fitted with twin carburettors.
At the rear was an innovative combination transaxle with the gearbox, clutch, differential, and inboard-mounted drum brakes. The front suspension was a sliding pillar design, with rear semi-trailing arms replaced by a de Dion tube in the Fourth series.
The Aurelia was also first car to be fitted with radial tires as standard equipment. Initially 165SR400 Michelin X and later on the sports models fitted with 165HR400 Pirelli Cinturato.
Gianni Lancia was president of Lancia from 1947 to 1955. In 1956, the Pesenti family took control, with Carlo Pesenti in charge of the company.
Aurelia B10
Aurelia B20
Flaminia
The Lancia Flaminia is a luxury car produced by Italian automaker Lancia from 1957 until 1970. It was Lancia's flagship model at that time, replacing the Aurelia. It was available throughout its lifetime as saloon, coupé and cabriolet. The Flaminia coupé and cabriolet were coachbuilt cars with bodies from several prestigious Italian coachbuilders. Four "presidential" stretched limousine Flaminias were produced by Pininfarina for use on state occasions.
There were 12,633 Flaminias sold over 13 years. Coupés outsold the four-door saloon, an unusual occurrence otherwise seen at the time only in American compact and midsize models whose coupé versions were standard factory models that cost the same or less than the sedan, while the Flaminia coupés' coachbuilt bodies made them considerably more expensive than the limousine-like Berlina. The Flaminia's engine was an evolution of the world's first production V6, which was introduced in the Aurelia. It had increased bore and decreased stroke. The engines were mounted longitudinally, powering the rear wheels through a 4-speed rear-mounted transaxle. A version with increased displacement was introduced in 1962.
There were 12,633 Flaminias sold over 13 years. Coupés outsold the four-door saloon, an unusual occurrence otherwise seen at the time only in American compact and midsize models whose coupé versions were standard factory models that cost the same or less than the sedan, while the Flaminia coupés' coachbuilt bodies made them considerably more expensive than the limousine-like Berlina. The Flaminia's engine was an evolution of the world's first production V6, which was introduced in the Aurelia. It had increased bore and decreased stroke. The engines were mounted longitudinally, powering the rear wheels through a 4-speed rear-mounted transaxle. A version with increased displacement was introduced in 1962.
Flaminia Coupe
Flaminia GT by Touring
Flavia
The Lancia Flavia is an executive car produced by Lancia in Italy from 1961 to 1971. Production continued as the Lancia 2000 from 1971 to 1975.The Flavia was launched with a 1,500 cc boxer engine at the 1960 Turin Motor Show by Lancia and introduced in major European markets during the next twelve months. Coupé and convertible versions developed by Pininfarina and Vignale quickly followed, together with one or two low volume "specials" including a Zagato coupé. Performance improved over the next ten years as the engine sizes increased, progressively, to 2,000 cc. The car remained in production until 1970 when it was updated and renamed the Lancia 2000.
Flavia Coupe
Fulvia
The Lancia Fulvia is an automobile produced by Lancia between 1963 and 1976. Named after Via Fulvia, the Roman road leading from Tortona to Turin, it was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 and manufactured in three variants: Berlina 4-door saloon, 2-door Coupé, and Sport, an alternative fastback coupé designed and built by Zagato on the Coupé floorpan.
The Fulvia Berlina was designed by Antonio Fessia, to replace the Lancia Appia with which it shared almost no components. The Appia was a rear wheel drive car, however, while the Fulvia moved to front wheel drive like the Flavia. The general engineering design of the Fulvia was identical to that of the Flavia with the major exception of the engine, the Flavia having a four-cylinder horizontally opposed engine and the Fulvia a 'Narrow Angle' vee configuration as featured on most production Lancias from the Lambda. The Fulvia used a longitudinal engine mounted in front of its transaxle. An independent suspension in front used wishbones and a single leaf spring, while a beam axle with a panhard rod and leaf springs was used in back. Four wheel Dunlop disc brakes were fitted to first series Fulvias. With the introduction of the second series in 1970 the brakes were uprated with larger Girling calipers all round and a brake servo. The handbrake design was also changed - using separate drums and brake-shoes operating on the rear wheels.
Fulvias are noted for their role in motorsport history, including a 1972 win of the International Rally Championship. Road & Track described the Fulvia as "a precision motorcar, an engineering tour de force".
Fulvia Coupe
Fulvia Sport Zagato
1969 - 2021
Fiat launched a take-over bid of the company in October 1969. It was accepted by Lancia as the company was losing significant sums of money, with losses in 1969 being £20 million. This was not the end of the distinctive Lancia marque, and new models in the 1970s such as the Stratos, Gamma and Beta proved that Fiat wished to preserve the image of the brand it had acquired. Autobianchi, bought by Fiat Group just a year before, was put under the control of Lancia.
Under Fiat's wing, Lancia went much the same way, steering clear of the big luxury car market and the cheap family car field, offering well-made middle-class cars with a good bit extra. The bit extra is what counts and it's what the company still owes to its founder. All Lancias have been carefully thought out, technically advanced, light, handling well and drawing a lot of power from surprisingly small engines. Most have been among the best-looking cars of their day.
Beta
The Lancia Beta was an entry-level luxury car produced by Italian car manufacturer Lancia from 1972 to 1984. It was the first new model introduced by Lancia after it had been taken over by Fiat in 1969.The Beta was made in several body styles, namely 4-door fastback saloon (Beta berlina), 4-door three-box, notchback saloon (Beta Trevi), 2-door coupé (Beta Coupé), 2-door targa (Beta Spider), 3-door estate (Beta HPE); a mid-engined sports car was also sold under the Beta name, the Lancia Beta Montecarlo.All versions of the car came with DOHC engines, five-speed gearboxes, rack and pinion steering, fully independent suspension using MacPherson struts, both front and rear, with disc brakes on all four wheels. The front-wheel-drive models were available in a number of engine capacities ranging from 1.3 litre to 2.0 litre. Breathing was provided by a single Weber carburettor until fuel injection was introduced on late two litre HPE and Coupe models.As with a number of previous front-wheel drive-Lancia models, the engine and gearbox were mounted on a subframe that bolted to the underside of the body. However, in the Beta the engine and manual gearbox were fitted transversely in-line. This Fiat-inspired configuration not only enabled neat engine bay packaging, but also, by tilting the engine 20 degrees rearwards, the Lancia engineers achieved improved weight transfer over the driven wheels and towards the centre of the car, as well as lowering the centre of gravity. The rear-wheel drive Lancia Montecarlo employed a similar layout except the subframe was mounted at the rear.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Lancia had great success in rallying, winning many World Rally Championships.
During the 1980s, the company cooperated with Saab Automobile, with the Lancia Delta being sold as the Saab 600 in Sweden. The 1985 Lancia Thema also shared a platform with the Saab 9000, Fiat Croma and the Alfa Romeo 164. During the 1990s, all models were closely related to other Fiat models.
Starting from 1 February 2007, Fiat's automotive operations were reorganised. Fiat Auto became Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A., Fiat S.p.A.'s branch handling mainstream automotive production. Simultaneously the current company, Lancia Automobiles S.p.A., was created from the pre-existing brand, and controlled 100% by FCA. In 2011, Lancia moved in another direction and added new models manufactured by Chrysler and sold under the Lancia badge in many European markets, such as the 300 (named Thema), 200 Convertible (as Flavia) and Voyager. Conversely, Lancia-built models began to be sold in right-hand drive markets under the Chrysler badge.
In 2015 Lancia's parent company Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. became FCA Italy S.p.A., reflecting the earlier incorporation of Fiat S.p.A. into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
After 2015, all models produced by Chrysler were discontinued in the European market. Since then, the Lancia brand has remained alive, only by continuing to manufacture and sell the Ypsilon - which received another slight facelift in 2020 - exclusively in the Italian market.
Beta Coupe
Beta Montecarlo
Thema
Delta
2021-present - Relaunch under Stellantis
Despite doubts about the brand's future following the completion of the Stellantis merger in 2021, Lancia was made part of a joint group with sister companies Alfa Romeo and DS Automobiles, to develop new premium models for the 2024 model year. As part of Stellantis' recovery plan for Lancia, Luca Napolitano was appointed the car maker's CEO, and Jean-Pierre Ploué its chief designer.
Three new electric models were announced in June 2021: a replacement city car for the Ypsilon; a compact crossover (codenamed L74 and rumoured to be named the Aurelia); and a compact hatchback, likely to be a new Delta.
In late 2021, Luca Napolitano and Jean-Pierre Ploué celebrated Lancia's 115th anniversary with a 3 part docufilm entitled Elegance in Motion (see side panel).
On November 28, 2022, Luca Napolitano laid the cornerstone of Lancia's "renaissance" by revealing a new logo and introducing the new Pu+Ra (Pure + Radical) Design language - through a sculpture called Pu+Ra Zero. Inspired by historic models such as the Aurelia, Flaminia, Delta and the 1970 Stratos Zero concept car, future electric models will be adorned by both organic lines and geometric shapes at the same time. The iconic calice grille was reinterpreted as a new Y-shaped LED light signature, with the new wordmark above them, instead of the shield. At the rear, round taillights pays homage directly to the Stratos sports car.
On 15 April 2023, Luca Napolitano presented the Lancia Pu+Ra HPE Concept in Milan. The L74 crossover was confirmed to be a new Gamma, a five-door fastback like the original, scheduled for a 2026 release.
Lancia in motorsport
Formula One
After Vincenzo Lancia's son Gianni became director of the firm, it started to take part more frequently in motorsport, eventually deciding to build a Grand Prix car. Vittorio Jano was the new designer for Lancia and his Lancia D50 was entered into the 1954 Spanish Grand Prix, where Alberto Ascari took the pole position and drove the fastest lap. In the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix Ascari crashed into the harbour after missing a chicane. One week later Ascari was killed in an accident driving a Ferrari sports car at Monza. With Ascari's death and Lancia's financial problems the company withdrew from Grand Prix racing. Altogether Lancia took two victories and ten podiums in Formula One.
Remnants of the Lancia team were transferred to Scuderia Ferrari, where Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1956 championship with a Lancia-Ferrari car.
Alberto Ascari in the Lancia D50 in 1954
Rallying
Lancia has been very successful in motorsport over the years, and mostly in the arena of rallying. Prior to the forming of the World Rally Championship (WRC), Lancia took the final International Championship for Manufacturers title with the Fulvia in 1972. In the WRC, they remain the most statistically successful marque (despite having withdrawn at the end of the 1993 season), winning constructors' titles with the Stratos (1974, 1975 and 1976), the 037 (1983) and the Delta (six consecutive wins from 1987 to 1992). The Delta is also the most successful individual model designation ever to compete in rallying. All this gave Lancia a total of 11 Championships over the years and 15 European Championship from 1969 to 1992. Juha Kankkunen and Miki Biasion both won two drivers' titles with the Delta. Among other drivers to take several World Rally Championship wins with Lancia were Markku Alén, Didier Auriol, Sandro Munari, Bernard Darniche, Walter Röhrl, Björn Waldegård and Henri Toivonen. The history of the brand in rallying is also tainted with tragedy, with deaths of Italian driver Attilio Bettega at the 1985 Tour de Corse in a Lancia 037 and then Finnish championship favourite Toivonen in a Lancia Delta S4 at the same rally exactly a year later. These deaths would eventually lead to the end of Group B rallying.
Fulvia
Stratos
037
Delta
Sports car racing
In 1951 Mille Miglia, Lancia Aurelia B20 GT came second overall. The car was driven by Thornley Kelham.
In 1953, Umberto Maglioli won the Targa Florio at the wheel of the Lancia D20. The same year Lancia introduced the D24 sports racer, which was an evolution of D23 model, but rebodied as a spider by Pinin Farina. Its most significant victories were the 1953 Carrera Panamericana, the 1954 Mille Miglia and the 1954 Targa Florio.
During Lancia's dominance of rallying, the company also expanded into sports cars in the late 1970s until the mid-1980s. It first ran the Stratos HF in Group 4, and for a brief interlude with a rare Group 5 version. The car was replaced with the successful Beta Montecarlo Turbo winning the FIA's 1980 World Championship for Makes and 1981 World Endurance Championship for Makes and the 1980 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft.
In 1982 the team moved up to Group 6 with the LC1 Spyder, followed by the Group C LC2 coupé which featured a Ferrari powerplant in 1983. The LC2 was a match for the standard-setting Porsche 956 in terms of raw speed, securing 13 pole positions over its lifetime; however, its results were hampered by poor reliability and fuel economy, and it only managed to win three European and World Endurance Championship races. The team's inability to compete against the dominant Porsche 956 and 962 sports cars led it to drop out of sportscar racing at the end of 1986 in order to concentrate on rallying, although private teams continued to enter LC2s with declining results until the early 1990s.
Group 5 Beta Montecalo Turbo
LC2
How to pronounce Lancia
