LANCIA

Factory driver and Fiat car racer Vincenzo Lancia together with his friend Claudio Fogolini founded 1906 r. in Turin, a small car factory called Fabbrica di Automobili, Lancia and Co.

The new company focused on the production of light sports cars with high engine power. The first model was Lancia Alfa, which appeared in 1908 r. It was followed by models with a classic design concept: Kappa, Tricap, until finally in 1922 r. the factory presented an unconventional type - Lambda. W 1924 r. the German automotive magazine Allgemeine Automobil Zeitung wrote: “The Lancia Lambda is such an extraordinary design, that it can be considered a revolution in car design”.

This revolutionary solution was the independent suspension of the front wheels, produced for the first time in such large series, a compact, narrow 4-cylinder V-engine with a camshaft in the cylinder head and a lightweight self-supporting body.

Vincenzo Lancia tried to produce the best cars possible, even at the expense of using more expensive design solutions. Just recall Augusta's hydraulic brakes 1932 r., independent suspension of the front wheels with torsion bars, Aprilia z aerodynamic self-supporting body 1927 r., rear axle type de Dion w 1935 r. or the front-wheel drive and counter-rotating piston engine of the Flavia z 1961 r.

V. Lancia was up to 1908 r. Fiat racing driver. In the 1950s, the company intensively joined the participation in car competitions. W 1954 r. Louis Chiron won the Monte Carlo Rally, to Alberto Ascari w Mille Miglia. The Lancia D racing car 5 with a V-shaped 8-cylinder engine, it became the Ferrari car with the most victories in the formula 1956 r., when Juan Manuel Fangio won his fourth world title.

From the 1930s, Lancia specialized in producing luxury cars for the wealthiest strata of society.. Well-known models were created then: Astura, Augsburg i Artena. In a crisis year 1960 after the release of the Flaminia luxury limousine, with a body designed by the famous body company Pinin Farina, the factory allowed itself to found the most snobbish association in the world. Only this one was accepted, who has bought at least six new Lancia cars over a period of time. Each member was given one badge to put on their car, and the other he wore on his jacket lapel. The color of the badge indicated the number of cars purchased.

Ever increasing competition has also forced these leading auto companies to merge with the financially stronger Fiat company.