Founded by Vincenzo Lancia who launched the
popular Lambda at the Paris and London car
shows of 1922. Lancia would pass in 1937,
but not before overseeing the continued improvement
of the Lambda, and leaving behind the wonderful
Aprilia saloon. After World War 2 the company
hired Vittoria Jano, an ex Alfa Romeo designer.
Togther with Lancia's son Gianni, the two
would embark upon a program of innovation
and design which included the wonderful V6
powered Aurelia B10. The company reached a
high point in rally racing with the release
of the Stratos. Also see Lancia
Heritage
1960 - 1970
Refinement, performance, sophistication. The Flavia had bucket loads of personality, and just enough quirks and foibles to remind you that you were driving an Italian car. That was always part of the experience. Those that couldn't appreciate a car with personality would never have stopped by at their local Lancia dealer, which was probably a good thing. More>>
1968 - 1969
As far as the Fulvia goes, the 1.6 HF was seen to be the
best. It boasted two world championships and was capable
of reaching 184 km/h. More>>
1973 - 1976
The Lancia Fulvia 1300 was not a car for an unsympathetic (read lazy) driver, simply because of the need to use the gearbox and engine energetically. It was instead a fabulously rewarding little car for a good driver. More>>
1973 - 1975
Lancia took a rather novel course with the design of their Stratos - instead of the more conventional scheme of transforming a "Gran Turismo" into a competition machine, the new model was a competition car adapted for road use and destined for rally work. More>>
1975 - 1984
Style and performance were not all that this suave Italian offered, the fuel economy usually bettering 30 mpg on a country trip and not much under when in heavy traffic. Yes, the Lancia was not without its faults, but it featured beautiful lines, great all-round performance and quickly became a very desirable machine. More>>
1975 - 1982
From Italy, sired by the huge Fiat conglomerate, the two-seater, mid-engined, Lancia Beta Montecarlo appeared - finally a mid-engined sports car for the masses! An almost "ugly-but-beautiful", low and stubby design stamped front and rear by the US-mandatory, impact-absorbing bumpers/body-work. More>>
1979 - 1983
Lancia's small hatchback, code-named Epsilon but renamed Delta after months of introduction delay due to the strikes that paralysed Italian industry, could well be regarded as a cousin to Fiat's Ritmo/Strada. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Delta was, for a period of time, also sold in Sweden by Saab Automobile, badged as the Saab 600. More>>
1982
There's was little more than a family resemblance to the Beta Monte Carlo in the Lancia Rally, built in a limited series of 200 to make it eligible for Group B commpetition. More>>
1984 - 1994
During the mid-1980's the Fiat group began to rationalise it chassis/platforms so that the same body could be used on different Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia models. More>>
1985
Sadly, during the 1986 Corsica Rally, driver Henri Toivonen
and navigator Sergio Cresto were killed in their S4. Resultant
FIA findings saw the termination of Group B rally cars
- deemed to be too powerful and dangerous. The Lancia
Delta S4 became the most outstanding rally car in history
not to win a world title. More>>
