Lancia
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Lancia is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more luxurious alternative to the models in the Fiat range upon which they are based. One of the firm's trademarks is the use of letters of the Greek alphabet as the names of its models. The firm was also known for persisting with right-hand drive until 1956. Lancia is famous for many automotive innovations. These include in 1913 the Theta was the first production car in Europe to feature a complete electrical system as standard equipment,[1] the first with a monocoque-type body - the Lambda, produced from 1922 to 1931 which also featured 'Sliding Pillar' independent front suspension that incorporated the spring and hydraulic damper into a single unit (and featured on most production Lancias until the Appia was replaced in 1963). In 1948 saw the first 5 speed gearbox to be fitted to a production car (Series 3 Ardea), the first full-production V6 engine, in the 1950 Aurelia,[2] and earlier experiments with V8 and V12 engine configurations. It was also the first company to produce a V4 engine. Also, Lancia pioneered the use of independent suspension in production cars, in an era where live axles were common practice for both the front and rear axles of a car as well as rear transaxles which were fitted to the Aurelia and Flaminia ranges.
Association with other automakersLancia was not closely associated with any other manufacturer until the late 1960s. By this time, the company's expensive, high standards of production had become unsustainable. In aiming to produce a product of the highest quality, company bosses had sacrificed cost-effectiveness and when Fiat launched a take-over bid in 1969, they accepted. This was not the end of the distinctive Lancia brand, and exciting new models in the 1970s such as the Stratos, Gamma and Beta served to prove that Fiat wished to preserve the image of the brand it had acquired. 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. AutomotiveCurrent modelsImage:Lancia Ypsilon front 20071002.jpg
Lancia Ypsilon
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Lancia Thesis on diplomatic duties
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Lancia Phedra
Lancia YpsilonThe Ypsilon is a luxury supermini car produced from 2003, evoluted in 2007 and is Lancia's best selling model as of 2006. Available with small (1.2- and 1.4-litre) petrol and JTD diesel engines, is also signed by MOMO design in one version: The Ypsilon Sport Momo Design. Lancia MusaA small MPV produced since 2004, the Musa is largely based on the Fiat Idea and available with rich image and equipments as high quality. Lancia DeltaLancia ThesisThe Thesis is a four-door executive sedan produced since 2002. It is the successor of the Lancia Kappa. Lancia PhedraThe Phedra is a prestigious MPV made by Sevel, a joint-venture of PSA and Fiat Group. It is manufactured at the Sevel Nord factory near Valenciennes in France, and has been in production since 2002. Trucks, buses and other historical productionLight commercial vehicles
TrucksImage:Lancia Esadelta C.jpg
Lancia Esadelta C
Buses
Trolleybuses
Military vehicles
Lancia in the United KingdomImage:LanciaBetaSpiderRoofOff.jpg
Lancia Beta Spyder
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Lancia Gamma coupé
In the late 1970s and 1980s, Lancia suffered an increasing image problem in the United Kingdom, centred around a perception that Lancia cars were prone to rusting. Fiat was at this time allegedly using Russian steel which was less durable than that used by the majority of other manufacturers and in the British climate, many of the group's vehicles were plagued by corrosion.[citation needed] The last right-hand drive model was sold in 1994, after which Lancia withdrew from all right-hand drive markets. However, as of September 2006, it has been announced that the brand will return to the UK with a right-hand drive version of its new Delta, in early 2009.[3] Lancia in the United StatesWhilst some models had been imported on a small scale in the 1950s and 1960s, Lancias were officially sold in the United States from 1975. Sales were comparatively slow and the range was withdrawn at the same time as Fiat in 1982. Lancia in motorsportFormula OneImage:1954-type Lancia D50A 616298256.jpg
A Lancia D50A Formula One car
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.[4]Altogether Lancia took two victories and ten podiums in Formula One.[5] Remnants of the Lancia team were transferred to Scuderia Ferrari,[6]where Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1956 championship with a Lancia-Ferrari car. RallyingImage:Lancia Delta S4.jpg
A Lancia Delta S4 Group B rally car
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A Lancia LC1 Group 6 sports car
Lancia has been very successful in motorsport over the years, mostly in the arena of rallying where, in the World Rally Championship, they remain the most statistically successful marque, winning constructors' titles with the Fulvia (1972), Stratos (1974, 1975 and 1976), 037 (1983) and Delta (all years between 1987 and 1992). The Delta is also the most successful individual model designation ever to compete in rallying. The history of the brand in rallying is also tainted with tragedy, with deaths of Italian and Finnish drivers Attilio Bettega (in a Lancia 037) and Henri Toivonen (in an S4). These deaths would eventually led to the end of Group B rallying. Sports car racingDuring Lancia's dominance of rallying, the company also expanded into sports cars in the late 1970s until the mid-1980s. Originally running the Stratos HF in Group 4, as well as a brief interlude with a rare Group 5 version, the car was replaced with the Monte Carlo Turbo. 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 team was unable to compete against the dominant Porsche sports cars, and so dropped out in order to return to rallying. EnginesSee also Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
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External links
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