The almost moribund Italian car company Lancia has been pushed by new Stellantis owners to join the electric car race with three new electric cars for Europe until 2028.
Lancia showcased floating art on its Design Day this week, revealing a modern interpretation of its T-shaped grille and circular lighting fixtures fostered through its rally legend, the Lancia Stratos.
Lancia CEO Luca Napolitano said the wheelless car concept was a new era showcasing the brand’s next hundred years.
For the next six years, however, the design language of Lancia sculpture will be a redesigned Ypsilon sedan, a reborn Delta, and a yet-to-be-named flagship.
This is the first time an automaker has unveiled a sculpture as the basis for its long-term design direction, with Mercedes-Benz launching its Aesthetics S concept car at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.
“It’s timeless, durable, unique. Our designs will be built with iconic and natural shapes such as the circle and triangle,” said Jean-Pierre Ploué, chief designer at Lancia.
The rear design language will be in the 2024 EV replacement of the aging Lancia YpsilonArray. [ ] hatchback. Photo: Laurent Nivalle
The design of the rear of the sculpture will be on the first Lancia EV, which will update the Ypsilon in 2024.
First it will be sold in 4 countries, adding Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom (it will be produced with right-hand drive), then in the rest of Europe.
“We want to make Lancia a respectable logo in the European premium market,” Napolitano said.
“Today is the beginning of our renaissance that will amaze Lancia enthusiasts around the world.
“Lancia will once again be a desirable, respectable and trustworthy logo in the European premium market. Today is the beginning of the new Lancia.
The new Ypsilon will have the Stellantis STLA (small electric vehicle) architecture, which is already under the Peugeot e-208 and Opel Corsa Electric, and will also be the basis for Alfa Romeo’s first EV in 2024.
The elongated shape of Lancia’s sculpture hints at a giant EV coupe by 2028, though the coupe market is moribund globally. Photo: Laurent Nivalle.
Lancia’s design arm has been incredibly underemployed for the past decade, with the former Italian innovation powerhouse’s global sales moving from a global market to Europe and now, over the past five years, it has been sold in Italy.
And even then, it was only sold in Italy with a single model – the Ypsilon sedan, which was introduced in 2011 and refreshed in 2015.
Lancia sales have increased from 300,000 cars in 1990 to just over 43,000 in 2021; coincidentally, the same number of cars that sold the Australian Holden GM logo in 2019 before he died.
But the creation of Stellantis, from the merger of PSA (Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel) and FCA (Fiat, Lancia, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, Abarth) gave Lancia a new power – and a rare possibility – in survival.
The Ferrari-powered Lancia Stratos HF (here with its successor 037 Rallye) is the most outstanding rally car of all time. Lancia still holds the record for maximum constructors’ titles in the World Rally Championship. Photo: Getty
Lancia was founded in 1906 and still holds more World Rally Championship constructors’ crowns (10) than any other car manufacturer, it hasn’t even competed since 1993.
He has titles with Lancia Fulvia, Ferrari-powered Stratos, 037 Rallye, Delta HF and Delta HF Integrale.
His D50 was renamed Ferrari to bring Juan Manuel Fangio to the world name of Formula 1 in 1956, and he also won the World Sports Car Championship in 1980 and 1981 against the might of Porsche.