Lancia has released a series of films, celebrating the brand's 115-year-old history. In the third and final episode of the documentary series, dubbed "Elegance on the move”, the brand's CEO, Luca Napolitano talks about two incredibly important chapters in Lancia's glorious history, Rally Racing and Art.

Overview

The theme of this third episode, "Dust and Stars" chronicles Lancia's journey through motorsport, movies, and communication. Napolitano welcomes Marco Testa, President, and CEO of the Armando Testa creative agency, and Sergio Limone, Head of Design and Testing of the iconic HF Lancia Racing Team to discuss these two sides of Lancia.

A pedigree like no other

Few brands have managed to become as synonymous with rallying as Lancia. The famed Italian automaker has to date won, 15 World Rally Championships, three Constructors’ and Endurance World Championships, one 1000 Miglia, two Targa Florios, and one Carrera Panamericana, leaving an everlasting impact on the world of Motorsport.

The people who ran the company recognized the usefulness of this type of racing early on, as it also allowed them to exhibit the capabilities of their production vehicles. The brand’s engagement in racing dates back to its founder, Vincenzo Lancia, whose passion had won him multiple victories during the late 1910s.

Lancia officially returned to rallying in the 1960s with the Lancia Racing Team, whose badge was a little red elephant accompanied by the initials HF ("High Fidelity").

By the 1970s and 1980s, models like the Stratos, 037, and Delta dominated for more than 20 years.

Let’s begin with the Stratos HF. The car makes its debut in 1974. Its primary objective was simple, to be unrivaled on any terrain, be it dirt or tarmac. The Stratos HF was equipped - with Enzo Ferrari's approval - with the 2.4-liter V6 engine from the Ferrari Dino.

A few years later, in 1983, it was Lancia Rally 037's turn to lead the way for the automaker. As Mr.Limone puts it, the era of four-wheel-drive had already begun, but the 037 - a rear-wheel-drive car - was still leading the way on dirt surfaces, with the Audi Quattro being the only car that could compete. The Lancia 037 was so technologically superior that it piqued the Audi team's interest. They dispatched one of their technicians to one of the Lancia team's servicing locations during the Sanremo rally. The technician arrived by helicopter to ensure that Lancia hadn't installed a drive to the front wheels. Lancia obviously hadn’t, and 037 was the last two-wheel drive car to win the World Championship.

Following its experience with the ultra-powerful Group B cars, the Turin-based automaker bets its cards with the all-wheel-drive Delta HF. This legend of a car managed to win 10 world titles (six in the constructors' classification and four in the drivers' classification), 46 victories out of the 66 world races that it took part in. In this discipline, the Delta is the car with the most victories in existence.

Lancia’s in the Movies

Lancia has had a long and intimate relationship with celebrities and cinema, dating back to the turn of the century. It would be hard not to mention names like Brigitte Bardot, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Claudia Cardinale, Anita Ekberg, and, most notably, Marcello Mastroianni, who is inextricably tied to his Flaminia Coupé Super Sport Zagato.

Lancia models were chosen by filmmakers even in later years, with Alain Delon driving a Lancia Delta in 1981's Pour la peau d'un flic (For the Skin of a Cop), and the Thema and Delta appearing in Woody Allen's Rome with Love (2012).

Conclusion

The brand's originality, elegance, and affinity to cinema were evident in notably remarkable advertising campaigns, with prominent performers like Catherine Deneuve, Vincent Cassel, and Harrison Ford starring in productions. As far as motorsport is concerned, the Italian automaker has certainly left its mark and will go down in history as one of the all-time greats. What waits to be seen is the next chapter for the Italian automaker, which will bring back names like the Integrale in EV guise, come 2026.