Lancia (slowly) peels back covers on concept

Since reigniting the brand Lancia has given us very little to work with, drip feeding the occasional abstract image (and even a sculpture) but keeping its activities under wraps for now.

It appears there is indeed a new concept in the works and judging by the latest image shared today, 31 March, it could be something special. Anyone au fait with the iconic Stratos will recognise similar design cues in the rear oval lights and boot lid-spoiler combo. Those tail lights were first debuted on a sculpture shown back in November 2022, but we now get to see them in context as part of a complete rear end.

Elsewhere, “venetian blind” styled louvres over the rear window are heavily inspired by the Beta HPE, according to Lancia.

Another aerial shot reveals heavily-flared wheel arches and only enforces the Stratos-esque vibe going on. Whether this is wishful thinking or not remains to be seen. The artwork Lancia has shared is fairly minimalistic but one detail does catch the eye in both shots: a circle on the boot lid that is split by a straight line, immediately giving the impression of an on/off button you would find on any electronic device.

A puzzling part of the design was the sink hole effect in the roof, perhaps an indication of a compact glasshouse and driver-focussed cabin. Lancia has offered some clarity on that: “[The] innovative circular roof guarantees a panoramic view, getting the most out of the natural light from the exteriors. This stylish and refined feature recalls the primitive geometric shapes typical of Lancia Design and fits perfectly with the sensual lines of the lateral sides.”

Cues may also have come from the 1978 Siblio concept (shown mid-way through the gallery below) which featured porthole style circular windows. There is certainly no shortage of inspiration to work with when it comes to Lancia’s back catalogue, with the brand name-checking quite a few in its press release: “The elegant Flaminia and Aurelia B24 Spider, the performing Delta, Stratos and 037, the eclectic Fulvia or Beta HPE and many others.” We are of course shocked to see that the Ypsilon does not get a mention on that list.

In this day and age it is hardly a statement to reveal an electric concept car, but for a brand that has been out of the limelight for so long – and one with such a rich heritage in gas-guzzling rally cars – an electric variant does feel a little more significant here. We’ll have to wait and see. Lancia’s design activities are being overseen by Jean-Pierre Ploué, Stellantis chief design officer, who will lead a “lean and focused team” at Centro Stile in Turin. The concept will be given an official reveal on 15 April

Lancia joins a handful of other familiar names that are making a return, including Italian design house Bertone; in the case of the GB110 hyper car, revealed at the end of 2022, there is supposedly a revolutionary eco-fuel-powered ICE. German sportscar company Wiesmann revealed Project Thunderball earlier in March, and then there is the AC Cobra that has also been reborn; we are told there will be news about that next month, so watch this space.