My Dad had a Lancia in the 70s. It could have been a Fulvia. I’m not completely sure. What I do know is that it was dark green and that he wrapped it around a lamp post on an icy road. My Mum banned him from getting another – and any other car that was green – and so began a steady stream of sensible saloon cars and motorway cruisers. A trail of Ford’s, Vauxhall’s, Rover, Mazda and for one fleetingly exciting time, a Saab 9-5 that brought the excitement of the dimmable dashboard that made you feel like you were the fighter pilot in their telly ads. He ended up pranging that too. But the Lancia was the only one that kept coming up in conversation. Definitely not the Ford Scorpio. Why? Because it was different. Because it looked great. And it made you feel great. Of course back then, that feeling was often tempered with reliability issues that have stuck with most Italian marques since then.
I had quite forgotten about this until I came across Lancia again several years back. I worked on the Chrysler launch into the UK which was a soup of Chrysler and Lancia vehicles thrown together with Chrysler badges to create an instant range. It may have worked but it also seemed a little bit like it wouldn’t. A US-style approach that fitted the iconic 300C and the bad ass Grand Voyager but never quite fitted the chic city style of the Ypsilon or the Delta.
I’ve been involved in Lancia on and off with my Italian colleagues ever since. Dabbling in ideas, subtly changing script copy, a few workshops here and there. Discovering the history and story, understanding more about the myth and the legend. Half-understanding Italian language only zoom calls. Always hoping that Lancia would one day break out of the one model, one country space it found itself in.
Enter Stellantis. A new energy and a new future vision. I don’t claim to know Luca (Lancia’s CEO) but I’ve been in meetings and calls and see a man driven to bring Lancia back and his focus and energy are infectious. But there is also the strong desire to keep Lancia firmly rooted in what it stands for. Not just another skateboard-platform brand but a true Lancia. With a full line-up. And of course, leaning into the EV future. Electrification makes sense for Lancia. Because electrification brings a sense of elegance to driving. For the past 18 months or so there’s been a huge amount of work by everyone connected with Lancia. A few drops of brand films have teased and excited but earlier this month the most daring reveal of the new Lancia dropped. I’m proud to have played a very small part with my colleagues and friends at Armando Testa and I look forward to seeing Lancia grow. Elegantly of course. Saluti Eraldo, Raffa, Federica and Jose.
Lancia. The new code of elegance.
The full reveal from the day:
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