Lancia is renowned for introducing numerous innovations:
- 1913 – Lancia Theta is the first European production car to feature a complete electrical
system as standard equipment
- 1922 – Lancia Lambda is the first production car with monocoque body and
independent front wheels
- 1931 – Lancia Astura is the first production car in the world with patented engine
mounting system that can freely oscillate to prevent vibrations being transmitted to the
chassis and bodywork
- 1933 – Lancia Augusta is the first saloon with monocoque body
- 1937 – Lancia Aprilia is the first car with four-wheel independent suspension
- 1950 – Lancia Aurelia is the first car to have a 60° V6 engine with gearbox and
differential assembled on the rear axle
- 1973 – Lancia Stratos with alloy and fiberglass body
- 1982 – Lancia Trevi is the first production car with direct injection and Volumex charger
Lancia has a strong rally heritage. In the World Rally Championship, it remains the most
statistically successful marque, winning a total of 11 constructor’s titles over the years.
Lancia and women have had a special bond since the beginning. Back in 1926, in Warsaw,
Poland, Ludmila Bosuslawska won the Jazda Konkursowa Pań, the first Womens’ rally ever. Her
car was a Lancia Lambda. Unfortunately, her trophy was lost in 1944 during the Warsaw
Uprising and for decades the glory and importance of that victory were largely forgotten. In
2016, having rediscovered this incredible story, Lancia celebrated the 90 th anniversary of
Ludmila’s victory on June 27th , paying homage to her and all the women who, every day,
demonstrate their strength and tenacity.
Lancia is also known for using letters of the Greek alphabet for its model names, such as Beta,
Delta, Kappa, Theta, Lambda, Ypsilon.
Lancia boasts a long list of famous owners, including Marcello Mastroianni, Brigitte Bardot,
Alain Delon, Jean Paul Belmondo, J.L. Trintignant and Emerson Fittipaldi.
Lancia has a long-lasting relationship with the movie world. The brand sponsored the Venice
Film Festival for seven consecutive years and the link between the two icons, Lancia and Venice,
could not be clearer: they are both the essence of Italian elegance and beauty.
You don’t have to be a movie expert to remember the many Lancias in Federico Fellini’s
masterpiece “La Dolce Vita” (1969), the convertible Lancia Aurelia in Dino Risi’s most famous
movie “The Easy Life” (Il Sorpasso, 1962), the Flavia Coupé in Claude Lelouch’s highly acclaimed
“A Man and a Woman” (Un Homme et une Femme, 1966), and Alain Delon’s Lancia Delta in “For
a Cop’s Hide” (Pour la peau d'un flic, 1981). A natural tie that saw Lancia also become a co-star
in Ron Howard’s movie “Angels & Demons” (2009).
Lancia also has a leading role when it comes to fashion. In 2017, Lancia Ypsilon was the official
sponsor of the first retrospective Italian exhibit of the work of Peter Lindbergh, the German
photographer and fashion genius who rewrote the rules of fashion photography. Lancia Ypsilon
supported “White Women’s Collections”, the contemporary fashion show in Milan, and
sponsored “Taomoda”, the prestigious event held in Taormina, Sicily (Italy) that closes the
fashion year in Europe.
Over 30 years, Lancia has created more than 30 special series of the Ypsilon.