Lancia

Giovanni Battista Ceirano built Welleyes bicycles in a small workshop near the home of wealthy soup manufacturer Guiseppe Lancia. In 1898, Guiseppe's son Vincenzo Lancia joined Ceirano as an apprentice. The first Welleyes car was developed by Aristide Faccioli and appeared in March 1899. In the first reliability run in which the Welleyes competed, it attracted the attention of a group of industrialists, and four months later Ceirano's company was acquired by the Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino (F.I.A.T.), headed by Giovanni Agnelli, Count Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia and Emanuele Bricherasio. F.I.A.T. also took over a number of employees including Vincenzo Lancia, Felice Nazzaro and designer Faccioli, who built the first F.I.A.T.

When Fiat moved into a new factory with 50 staff on Corso Dante in 1899, Vincenzo Lancia became the first test driver. In 1900 he won a race in Padua ahead of a Panhard-Levassor and a Fiat with Nazzaro at the wheel.

After several racing successes, lancia decided in 1906 at the age of 25, together with his friend Claudio Fogolin, to found the company Lancia & Cie Fabbrica Automobili.

They started with 20 men in a factory where the Itala brand had been created in 1904, a stone's throw from the Fiat factory. In 1907, the factory burned down completely, losing everything. Lancia & Cie had to start all over again. Vincenzo decided to build the 1908 model, which included the planned improvements on the 1907 model.

Lancia also signed a contract with Fiat in 1907 to race for them. In the first race, the Targa Florio, he finished second, behind teammate Felice Nazarro.

Meanwhile, at the factory, which by now had grown to 30 employees, the first Lancia was completed with the name Alpha. The engine ran at 1,800 rpm, which was extremely high at the time, and the engine had the world's first two-stage carburetor. In 1908, the second model, the Dialpha, appeared, and then Lancia decided to stop racing for Fiat. He won his first race in a Lancia, but factory work required so much attention that he had to quit racing in 1909.

The models Beta and the successful Gamma followed.

As the factory was becoming too small, it moved into the abandoned Fides-Brasier car factory in 1911 and at the same time the new Delta model appeared. This was followed by the Didelta, in 1912 the Epsilon, in 1913 the Eta and in 1914 the successful Theta.

After World War I, in 1918, the Kappa was released, in 1921 the Dikappa, in 1922 the Trikappa with V8 engine and the legendary Lambda with the world's first self-supporting body and independent suspension.

In 1929, the Dilambda was launched, a luxury car with a 100-hp 4-liter V8.

The Artena with V4 engine and the Astura with V8 engine were released in 1931, the Agusta, Lancia's first small car, in 1932 and the Aprillia in 1937, the year Vincenzo Lancia died.

In 1939 the small Ardea came on the market and in 1950 the Aurelia with the world's first V6 engine.

Vincenzo's son, Gianni Lancia, designed the Appia V4 in 1953. The Flaminia entered the market in 1957 and the front-wheel-drive Flavia was presented in 1960 and the Fulvia in 1963.

Lancia ran into financial difficulties and was sold to Fiat in 1969.

The Model 2000 appeared in 1971, the Beta in 1972 and the Gamma in 1976.

Autobianchi, which was also owned by the Fiat concern, joined Lancia in 1973.

The Stratos with a center-mounted V6 was built starting in 1972 and was unbeatable in rallies. The Stratos was succeeded by the Montecarlo.

In 1979 the Delta entered the market, in 1984 the Thema and in 1989 the Dedra.