Difference between revisions of "Lancia"
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[[Image:lancia_logo_.png|center|110px]] | [[Image:lancia_logo_.png|center|110px]] | ||
| + | [[Image:fulviafront.jpg|thumb|350px|Lancia Fulvia 1600 Sport Zagato]] | ||
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| + | '''Lancia Automobiles S.p.A.''' {{IPA|[ˡlantʃa]}} is an [[Italy|Italian]] [[automobile manufacturer]] founded in 1906 by [[Vincenzo Lancia]] and which became part of the [[Fiat|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 Lancia CEO is Olivier François. | ||
| − | + | ==History== | |
| + | ===Foundation and early years=== | ||
| + | [[Image:2006 SAG - Lancia Beta Torpedo 1520 HP 1909 -03.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Lancia Beta Torpedo (1909)]] | ||
| + | Lancia was founded on 29 November 1906 in [[Turin]] by [[Vincenzo Lancia]] and his friend Claudio Fogolin, both being Fiat racing drivers, as Lancia & C. The first Lancia automobile the "[[Lancia Alfa-12HP|tipo 51]]" or 12 HP (later called Alfa) was made in 1907 and produced from 1908. This car had a small four cylinder engine with a power of 58 bhp. | ||
| + | [[Image:lancia logo antico.jpg|left|thumb|150px|'''Original Lancia Logo''']] | ||
| + | Lancia is famous for many automotive innovations. These include the 1913 [[Lancia Theta-35HP|Theta]], which was the first production car in Europe to feature a complete electrical system as standard equipment. The first car with a [[monocoque]]-type body - the [[Lancia Lambda|Lambda]], produced from 1922 to 1931 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). [[1948]] saw the first 5 speed [[gearbox]] to be fitted to a production car (Series 3 Ardea). Lancia premiered the first full-production [[V6 engine]], in the 1950 [[Lancia Aurelia|Aurelia]], after earlier industry-leading experiments with [[V8 engine|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 axle]]s were common practice for both the front and rear axles of a car. They also developed rear transaxles which were fitted to the Aurelia and Flaminia ranges. | ||
| − | + | ===Logo=== | |
| + | The original Lancia logo was designed by Count Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia. The logo shows a lance and shield with flag. The | ||
| + | [[Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile|Turin automobile museum]] is named after him as Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile “Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia”. The logo was redesigned in 2007. | ||
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== Association with other automakers == | == Association with other automakers == | ||
Revision as of 08:33, 22 March 2009
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. [ˡlantʃa] 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 Lancia CEO is Olivier François.
History
Foundation and early years
Lancia was founded on 29 November 1906 in Turin by Vincenzo Lancia and his friend Claudio Fogolin, both being Fiat racing drivers, as Lancia & C. The first Lancia automobile the "tipo 51" or 12 HP (later called Alfa) was made in 1907 and produced from 1908. This car had a small four cylinder engine with a power of 58 bhp.
Lancia is famous for many automotive innovations. These include the 1913 Theta, which was the first production car in Europe to feature a complete electrical system as standard equipment. The first car with a monocoque-type body - the Lambda, produced from 1922 to 1931 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). 1948 saw the first 5 speed gearbox to be fitted to a production car (Series 3 Ardea). Lancia premiered the first full-production V6 engine, in the 1950 Aurelia, after earlier industry-leading 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. They also developed rear transaxles which were fitted to the Aurelia and Flaminia ranges.
Logo
The original Lancia logo was designed by Count Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia. The logo shows a lance and shield with flag. The Turin automobile museum is named after him as Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile “Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia”. The logo was redesigned in 2007.
Association with other automakers
Lancia 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.
Automotive
Current models
Lancia Ypsilon
Main article Lancia Ypsilon
The 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 Musa
Main article Lancia Musa A 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 Delta
Main article Lancia Delta
Lancia Thesis
Main article Lancia Thesis The Thesis is a four-door executive sedan produced since 2002. It is the successor of the Lancia Kappa.
Lancia Phedra
Main article Lancia Phedra The 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 production
Light commercial vehicles
- Lancia Beta / Lancia Beta Diesel
- Lancia Jolly
- Lancia Superjolly
Trucks
- Lancia Eta (car with a loading area)
- Lancia Jota (1915)
- Lancia Dijota (1915)
- Lancia Trijota (1921)
- Lancia Tetrajota (1921)
- Lancia Pentajota (1924)
- Lancia Esajota
- Lancia Eptajota (1927)
- Lancia Omicron
- Lancia Ro (1932)
- Lancia Ro-Ro (1935)
- Lancia 3Ro (1938)
- Lancia EsaRo (1941)
- Lancia E 290 (1941) single-built electric truck
- Lancia 6Ro (1947)
- Lancia Esatau (1950-1968)
- Lancia Beta / Lancia Beta Diesel
- Lancia Esatau B (1955)
- Lancia Beta Diesel (1959) Lancia Beta 190, with a supercharged twin-cylinder compressor - two stroke - diesel engine
- Lancia Esadelta B (1959)
- Lancia Esadelta C (1969)
- Lancia Esagamma (1968)
Buses
- Lancia Trijota
- Lancia Tetrajota
- Lancia Omicron
- Lancia Ro
- Lancia Esatau
- Lancia Esagamma
Trolleybuses
- Lancia Esatau V11
Military vehicles
- Lancia IZ (1912) armored vehicle
- Lancia 3Ro (1939) truck
- Lancia EsaRo (1942) truck
- Lancia Lince (lynx) (1942) armored car - a copy of Daimler Dingo MK I
- Lancia 6Ro (1948) LKW
- Lancia CL51 (Z 20) (1954) troop transporter
- Lancia TL51 (Z 30) (1954) lorries
Lancia in the United Kingdom
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. 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.
Lancia in the United States
Whilst 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 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.
Rallying
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 racing
During 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.
Engines
See also
- List of Italian companies
- List of automobile manufacturers
- List of Formula One constructors
- List of World Rally Championship Constructors' Champions
Timelines
| 1900–1940 Lancia Pre War Timeline | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancia Automobiles S.p.A., a subsidiary of the Fiat S.p.A. since 1969, car timeline, 1900s–1940s -- Lancia Pre War Timeline | Next » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| V4 | Lambda | Artena | Aprilia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Augusta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Straight-4 | Alfa-12HP | Beta-15/20HP | Epsilon | Theta-35HP | Dikappa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alfa-24HP | Gamma-20HP | Eta-30/50HP | Kappa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Delta-20/30HP | Zeta-12/15HP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Straight-6 | Dialfa-18HP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| V8 | Astura | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trikappa | Dilambda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| V12 | 12 cil V | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1940–1980 Lancia Post War | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Previous | Lancia Automobiles S.p.A., a subsidiary of the Fiat S.p.A. since 1969, car timeline, 1940–1980 -- Lancia Post War | Next » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Family car | ... Ardea | Appia | Fulvia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ... Aprilia | Beta / Trevi (828) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Executive car | Flavia | 2000 | Gamma (830) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coupé | Fulvia Coupé/Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Beta Coupé/Spider/ Montecarlo (828) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aurelia | Flaminia | Gamma Coupé/GT (830) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports car | Stratos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Racing car | D23/D24 | D50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980s-Present Lancia Modern Timeline | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Previous | Lancia car timeline, 1980s-present -- Lancia modern timeline | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||
| City car | Autobianchi Y10 or | Lancia Y 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Supermini | Ypsilon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Small family car | Delta | Delta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Large family car | Beta | Prisma | Dedra | Lybra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Executive car | Gamma | Thema | Kappa | Thesis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mini MPV | Musa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Large MPV | Zeta | Phedra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Racing car | Lancia 037 | Delta S4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Models and Pics
| LANCIA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1907-1918: Alfa-12HP · Alfa-24HP · Dialfa-18HP · Beta-15/20HP · Delta-20/30HP · Epsilon · Eta-30/50HP · Gamma-20HP · Theta-35HP · Zeta-12/15HP
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vincenzo Lancia · Corporate website · A brand of the Fiat group | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Engines
Concept Cars and Designs
Concept Cars by Italdesign
Designs by Pininfarina
Internal Links
External links
- Lancia
- Lancia Italy Official Website
- DMOZ Category: Lancia
- Lancia Phedra Forum
- Viva Lancia fanpage!
- Lancia Support Website
- Lancia Motor Club (UK) - The oldest and largest Lancia Club in the world with members from around the world
- Lancia Club Italy
- Viva Lancia fanpage!
- Information about the firm since 1881
- Polish Lancia Official Club
- Club Lancia Sport (UK)