Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. (Italian pronunciation: [ˈlantʃa]) 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. Some 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.

History[link]

Lancia Beta Torpedo (1909)

This section requires expansion.

Foundation and early years[link]

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.^[2] In 1937 Vincenzo died of a heart attack, and his wife Adele Miglietti Lancia and his son Gianni Lancia took over the firm. They persuaded Vittorio Jano to join Lancia as an engineer. Jano had already made a name for himself by constructing the Alfa Romeo 1750 Sport Alfa Romeo 6C, 2300, 2900, P2 Alfa Romeo P2 and P3 Alfa Romeo P3, some of the most successful racers of its time.

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.^[3] 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,^[4] 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. The innovativeness, constant quest for excellence, the fixation of quality, the complication of the construction processes and the antiqued machinery meant that all cars essentially had to be hand-made. With little commonality between the various models, the cost of production continued to increase extensively, while demand did not.

Logo[link]

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 manufacturers[link]

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 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[link]

Current models[link]

Ypsilon	Delta	Thema	Voyager
Supermini 5-door hatchback	Small family car 5-door hatchback	Executive car 4-door sedan	Minivan 4-door minivan

Lancia Ypsilon[link]

The Ypsilon is a supermini car produced from 2011, It is based on a updated Fiat 500 platform.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is sold as the Chrysler Ypsilon.^[5]

Lancia Delta[link]

A small family car unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. Using stretched version of Fiat C-platform. Available as five-door hatchback.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is sold as the Chrysler Delta.^[6]

Lancia Flavia[link]

A convertible unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, which is based on the Chrysler 200.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is sold as the Chrysler 200.

Lancia Thema[link]

A executive car unveiled in 2011, which is based on the Chrysler 300.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is sold as the Chrysler 300.

Lancia Voyager[link]

A minivan unveiled in 2011, which is based on the Chrysler Town and Country.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is sold as the Chrysler Grand Voyager.

Past car models[link]

Lancia has a long tradition of passenger, fast touring, sports and racing cars. They have tended to emphasize quality, appearance and sophisticated design, somewhat at the expense of power and competitive pricing. Among the most beautiful, desirable and unusual models are various Lancia Zagato models.

The Lancia Aurelia introduced the front engine rear transmission configuration later used by Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Porsche, GM, and Maserati, as well as the V6 engine, which is now common. It also had inboard rear brakes, an important way of reducing un-sprung weight.

The Lancia Stratos was a successful rally car during the 1970s and helped the company to improve its sporting credentials.

Future models[link]

Future models are likely to be based on Chrysler.

Trucks, buses and other historical production[link]

Light commercial vehicles[link]

• Lancia Beta / Lancia Beta Diesel
• Lancia Jolly
• Lancia Superjolly

Trucks[link]

Lancia Triota 1921

Lancia Esadelta C

Lancia Esagamma E

Lancia trolleybus in Athens

Lancia 3RO military truck

• Lancia Eta (car with a loading area)
• Lancia Jota (1915)
• Lancia Dijota (1915)
• Lancia Triota (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)

Buses[link]

• Lancia Trijota
• Lancia Tetrajota
• Lancia Omicron
• Lancia Ro
• Lancia Esatau
• Lancia Esagamma

Trolleybuses[link]

• Lancia Esatau V11

Military vehicles[link]

• Lancia IZM (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 States[link]

While 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.

In 2009, following Fiat's acquisition of a stake in United States-based Chrysler and part of Chrysler's restructuring plans, it was stated that Fiat plans for the Chrysler brand and Lancia to codevelop products, with some vehicles being shared. Olivier Francois, Lancia's CEO, took over as CEO of the Chrysler division in October 2009. Fiat has also stated that, depending on the market, some Chrysler cars will be sold as Lancias and vice versa. Francois plans to reestablish the Chrysler brand as an upscale brand, a position somewhat muddied after the Plymouth brand was discontinued.^[7] At the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, a Chrysler-badged Lancia Delta was on display, likely the first Lancia to be sold as a Chrysler and possibly as a replacement for the Chrysler PT Cruiser.^[8]

Lancia in motorsport[link]

Formula One[link]

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.^[9] Altogether Lancia took two victories and ten podiums in Formula One.^[10]

Remnants of the Lancia team were transferred to Scuderia Ferrari,^[11] where Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1956 championship with a Lancia-Ferrari car.

Rallying[link]

A Lancia Delta S4 Group B rally car

Lancia has been very successful in motorsport over the years, and mostly in the arena of rallying. Prior to the forming of the World Rally Championship, Lancia took the final International Championship for Manufacturers title with the Fulvia in 1972. In the WRC, they remain the most statistically successful marque (despite having withdrawn at the end of the 1993 season), winning constructors' titles with the Stratos (1974, 1975 and 1976), the 037 (1983) and the Delta (six consecutive wins from 1987 to 1992). The Delta is also the most successful individual model designation ever to compete in rallying. All this gave Lancia a total of 10 Championships over the years.

Juha Kankkunen and Miki Biasion both won two drivers' titles with the Delta. Among other drivers to take several World Rally Championship wins with Lancia were Markku Alén, Didier Auriol, Sandro Munari, Bernard Darniche, Walter Röhrl, Björn Waldegård and Henri Toivonen. The history of the brand in rallying is also tainted with tragedy, with deaths of Italian driver Attilio Bettega at the 1985 Tour de Corse in a Lancia 037 and then Finnish championship favourite Toivonen in a Lancia Delta S4 at the same rally exactly a year later. These deaths would eventually lead to the end of Group B rallying.

Sports car racing[link]

A Lancia LC1 Group 6 sports car

During Lancia's dominance of rallying, 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 LC2 was a match for the standard-setting Porsche 956 in terms of raw speed, securing 13 pole positions over its lifetime, however its results were hampered by poor reliability and fuel economy and it only managed to win three European and World Endurance Championship races. The team's inability to compete against the dominant Porsche 956 and 962 sports cars led it to drop out of sportscar racing at the end of 1986 in order to concentrate on rallying, although private teams continued to enter LC2s with declining results until the early 1990s.

Engines[link]

• Lancia V4 engine
• Lancia V6 engine
• Lancia V8 engine
• Lancia Flat-4 engine

TV[link]

During the 3rd episode of the 14th series of popular British automotive show Top Gear, the presenters argued that Lancia had more 'great' models than any other car company.^[12] The presenters went on to test the Gamma Coupé, Fulvia Coupé, Aprilia, Beta Montecarlo, Beta Coupé, HPE, Stratos, 037, Delta Integrale and Thema 8.32. They also stated during their review that Lancia made the best looking cars, even though they are unreliable.

Discontinuation Of All RHD Models[link]

Lancia stopped producing cars with the steering wheel on the right in the 1990s as follows:

• Y10 - 1993
• Dedra - 1994
• Thema - 1994
• Delta - 1995

See also[link]

• List of Italian companies
• List of automobile manufacturers
• List of Formula One constructors
• List of World Rally Championship Constructors' Champions
• Lancia Grand Prix results
• Lancia in rallying
• Martini Racing

References[link]

External links[link]

Companies portal

• Lancia Official page
• Lancia Italy Official Website
• LANCIA-EXPERIENCE-Official-Page in Facebook
• Lancia Press

Carlos Sainz

Sainz interviewed before the 2009 Dakar Rally.
Personal information
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1962-04-12) April 12, 1962 (age 50)
World Rally Championship record
Active years	1987–2005
Teams	Ford, Toyota, Lancia, Subaru, Citroën
Rallies	196
Championships	2 (1990, 1992)
Rally wins	26
Podiums	97
Stage wins	757[1]
Total points	1242
First rally	1987 Rally Portugal
First win	1990 Acropolis Rally
Last win	2004 Rally Argentina
Last rally	2005 Acropolis Rally

Carlos Sainz Cenamor (born April 12, 1962 in Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times. Constructors' world champions to have benefited from Sainz are Subaru (1995), Toyota (1999) and Citroën (2003, 2004 and 2005).

Nicknamed El Matador, Sainz holds the WRC record for most career starts. He was also the first driver not from Scandinavia or Finland to win the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland, and finished the Swedish Rally second four times and third twice, in this case without ever breaking the trend. Besides WRC successes, he has won the Dakar Rally (2010), the Race of Champions (1997) and the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (1990). His co-drivers were Antonio Boto, Luís Moya and Marc Martí.

His son, Carlos Sainz, Jr., born in September 1994, won the 2009 Junior Monaco Kart Cup and began a professional formula racing career.

Career[link]

Ford (1987–88)[link]

Sainz began rallying in 1980, and won the Spanish Rally Championship with a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth in 1987 and 1988.^[2] He first appeared in the World Rally Championship with Ford during the 1987 season, finishing seventh at the Tour de Corse and eighth at the RAC Rally. The following season, he finished fifth twice; at the Tour de Corse and at the Rallye Sanremo. Sainz then left Ford to join the Toyota Team Europe, the Japanese marque's rallying arm operating in Cologne, Germany.

Toyota (1989–92)[link]

1992 Toyota Celica GT-Four Carlos Sainz Limited Edition

Despite all previous rallying Toyota Celicas having only ever looked a competitive prospect on highly specialized endurance rallies such as the Safari Rally, the new combination of Toyota and Sainz rapidly rose in competitiveness. In the 1989 season, Sainz started with four retirements but then finished on the podium in three rallies in a row. His team-mate, by then two-time world champion Juha Kankkunen, also gave the Celica GT-Four ST165 its debut win at the inaugural Rally Australia. Sainz would almost certainly have won his first World Championship Rally on the final event of the season, the RAC Rally, but for mechanical failure in the final stages, which relegated him to second.

In the 1990 season, Sainz drove his GT-Four to victory at the Acropolis Rally, at the Rally New Zealand, at the 1000 Lakes Rally, as the first non-Nordic driver, and at the RAC Rally, claiming his first world drivers' title, ahead of Lancia's Didier Auriol and Kankkunen, ending the Italian marque's domination of the drivers' world championship since the advent of the Group A era of the sport in 1987.

In 1991, Sainz narrowly failed to defend his title against a resurgent Lancia-mounted Kankkunen, his efforts capped by a dramatic roll of his Celica in Australia which left him in a neckbrace. Both Sainz and Kankkunen took five wins, the first time in the history of the WRC that two drivers had managed such win tally during one season. Sainz led Kankkunen by one point going into the final round of the season, the RAC Rally, where Kankkunen took his third title by winning ahead of Kenneth Eriksson and Sainz. Kankkunen's and Sainz's point totals, 150 and 143, both broke the record set by Sainz a year earlier (140).

Aboard the new ST185 Toyota Celica in the 1992 season, in a year that would prove the last for the foreseeable future for Lancia, Sainz managed to score memorable victories on the Safari Rally and on his home asphalt round, the Rally Catalunya. The title fight again went down to the wire, and this time in a three-way battle; before the RAC, Sainz led Kankkunen by two points and Auriol, who had taken a record six wins during the season, by three points. Sainz's victory ahead of Ari Vatanen and Kankkunen, combined with Auriol's retirement, confirmed the title in favour of the Spaniard.

A limited number of 440 Celica GT-Four ST185s, carrying his name on a plaque in the vehicle, and with decals on the outside, were sold in the United Kingdom in 1992 in an attempt to capitalise on Sainz's two championship successes with the works team. These were the part of the 5,000 units of ST185 for WRC homologation. It is said that Sainz still keeps a Celica GT-Four given to him by Toyota, which he drives to Real Madrid games at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Lancia (1993)[link]

A Replica of an ex-Sainz Lancia Delta HF Integrale during Lancia centenary celebrations in Turin.

Such success, however, failed to coerce Sainz into staying with Toyota for the 1993 season. Instead, he moved to the private but Lancia-backed Jolly Club team. Although Lancia had won the previous year's manufacturers' title the Delta was an ageing design, and with minimal development work during the season it lost ground to newer cars. Sainz's only podium finish was his second place at the Acropolis Rally. He finished second on the San Remo Rally, but he and his team-mate were later disqualified for using illegal fuel. He finished eighth in the drivers' championship. Meanwhile, Lancia's factory team refugees Kankkunen and Auriol switched in the other direction to take his place at Toyota Team Europe, resulting in a title double for Toyota and Kankkunen.

Subaru (1994–95)[link]

Sainz then chose to drive for the then fledgling Subaru World Rally Team in 1994, where he replaced Ari Vatanen. Sainz's experience, perfectionism and abilities as a development driver played a vital role in developing the then-new Impreza to the point where it could mount a sustained challenge to Toyota and Ford. Indeed, in the hands of Sainz and Colin McRae the Subarus were frequently faster than the Fords during the season. Toyota won the manufacturers' title, but the drivers' championship was only settled on the final round, with Didier Auriol winning ahead of Sainz. In the 1995 season, he won the Monte Carlo Rally, the Rally Portugal and the Rally Catalunya. At this latter event he was trailing his team-mate Colin McRae until the team ordered the Scotsman to slow down and allow Sainz to win, which led to a dispute between the drivers. Nevertheless, they were tied for the lead in the drivers' world championship going into the season-ending RAC Rally. McRae won his home event 36 seconds ahead of Sainz, despite losing time with mechanical difficulties that at one stage had put him two minutes behind. Subaru secured their first manufacturers' title with a triple win as the team's second young Briton, Richard Burns, finished third. Sainz was later to join McRae at both Ford and Citroën.

Ford (1996–97)[link]

Sainz driving an Escort RS Cosworth at the 1996 1000 Lakes.

Sainz responded by rejoining Ford for the 1996 season. He spent two seasons with the squad, aboard the Ford Escort RS Cosworth and latterly, the Escort World Rally Car. In 1996, he won the inaugural Rally Indonesia and with five other podium finishes to his name, he took third place in the drivers' world championship, behind Mitsubishi's Tommi Mäkinen and Subaru's McRae. In the 1997 season, he again won the Indonesian round, along with the Acropolis Rally, but again lost the title fight to Mäkinen and McRae. However, he won the Race of Champions at the end of 1997.

Toyota (1998–99)[link]

Sainz with a Toyota Corolla WRC at the 1999 Monte Carlo Rally.

Sainz then departed, once again, for Toyota, partnering Didier Auriol and helping to further the Corolla World Rally Car project that had been instituted in 1997, as part of the Cologne recovery from the embarrassment of exclusion from the world championship on the penultimate round of the 1995 season.

Sainz won on his first outing for them, on the 1998 season opener Monte Carlo Rally, and later in the season, added a victory in New Zealand. The seemingly terminal blow to title rival Tommi Mäkinen's chances was his retirement on the first day of the final event of the year, the Rally Great Britain, which gave the initiative to Sainz, who now only had to finish fourth in order to ensure the title. However, just 500 metres from the finish of the very last stage, he too was forced to retire with a mechanical problem. As a result, both Sainz and Toyota gifted their respective titles to rivals Mäkinen and Mitsubishi Ralliart.

An ex-Sainz Corolla WRC at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.

A subdued season followed for Sainz in 1999, although it did at least culminate in a departing manufacturers' title for Toyota, by now fostering alternative interests in Formula One. Sainz took a total of eight podiums, but no wins, and finished fifth in the drivers' standings, behind his third-placed team-mate Auriol who had taken his only win of the season at the inaugural China Rally.

Ford (2000–02)[link]

Sainz driving his Ford Focus WRC at the 2001 Rally Finland.

This was the precursor of another, three year stint with Ford, again alongside McRae, beginning with the 2000 season. He won the inaugural edition of the Cyprus round of the world championship, and finished third in the drivers' points standings.

Sainz failed to score a victory on any rally during the 2001 season, but with five podiums and four other point-scoring finishes, he managed to keep himself in the title fight throughout the very closely contested season, eventually finishing sixth in the standings, only eleven points adrift of the champion, Subaru's Richard Burns. Meanwhile, team-mate McRae took three wins and led the championship before the season-ending Rally GB, where he crashed out. Ford also lost the manufacturers' title to Peugeot.

In 2002, Sainz inherited the victory of the Rally Argentina, having provisionally finished third, by virtue of the disqualifications of the two leading Peugeots of Marcus Grönholm and Burns. This was his only win of the season, and in a close fight for the second place in the drivers' championship, behind the dominant Grönholm, Sainz finished third, one point ahead of his team-mate McRae.

Citroën (2003–05)[link]

Sainz with a Citroën Xsara WRC at the 2004 Rally Finland.

Effectively frozen out along with McRae at Ford, he along with the Scot moved to Citroën for the 2003 and 2004 seasons, with whom he was to score his final world rally victory at the 2004 Rally Argentina. Despite formally retiring at the end of the 2004 season, with a possible view to moving into the World Touring Car Championship, he was to actually find himself invited back to the WRC fold on the request of Citroën, to replace the faltering Belgian driver François Duval. Although Duval was soon to reclaim his seat, Sainz's two rallies back in the Citroën impressed many, with the now 43-year-old Spaniard posting fourth and third finishing positions respectively.

Later career[link]

2006 saw a first participation for Sainz at the wheel of a Volkswagen in that year's Dakar Rally, sharing the cockpit with the two times winner of the Dakar Rally, Andreas Schulz. In 2007, he repeated his attempt with Volkswagen, this time with French Michel Perin, also a former winner of the raid. Following the resignation of Fernando Martin, he even ran, eventually in vain, for the vice-president position at his beloved football club Real Madrid C.F., for which he once trained. In 2007 Sainz won the Cross-Country Rally World Cup with the Volkswagen team. In 2008, he won the Central European Rally.^[3] In January 2009, partnering again with Perin, he led the Dakar Rally until crashing out on the 12th stage.^[4] Later in 2009 Sainz won Silk Way Rally with Volkswagen team.^[5] At the 2010 Dakar Rally, Sainz changed again co-pilot, teaming with the also Spanish Lucas Cruz. Sainz edged out teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah to take his maiden win in the event.^[6] In 2010 Sainz also won the Silk Way Rally for the second time. In 2011 Dakar Rally Sainz finished 3rd.

Volkswagen's WRC project[link]

As Volkswagen announced its WRC entry for 2013, Sainz was announced to be part of the WRC project. Volkswagen's motorsport director Kris Nissen told that he needed "10 seconds" to convince Sainz to remain part of the company's efforts in the new programme. Nissen told that the team would need Sainz for some testing of the new car.^[7] In November 2011, Sainz had the honour to drive first kilometres with the new Volkswagen Polo R WRC near Trier, Germany, when the team began testing the new car.^[8] Late 2011, Nissen also revealed he would like to see Sainz taking part in some rally with the WRC Polo before he calls time on his career.^[9] Early 2012 Sainz drove Polo WRC in its maiden gravel test in Spain with Sébastien Ogier.^[10] In March 2012, Sainz was inducted into the Rally Hall of Fame along with Michèle Mouton.^[11]

Decorations[link]

• Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit^[12]

Titles[link]

Sainz driving a Volkswagen Race Touareg during the 2007 Dakar Rally.