Lancia

For a few years, Lancia became one of the most innovative manufacturers in the World. It was the first to make cars with unitary body construction, they developed an excellent independent front suspension system, and their engines were ahead of their time. This was all incorporated in the Lambda which is one of the all time greats. During the post war period, the Lancia Stratos swept all before it in international rallies, extremely ugly though it was. It fact Lancia has been the most successful rally marque of all time.

Apart from the Lambda, I cannot say that I am much of an enthusiast for Lancia. Some post war models were only exceptional for their rusting capabilities which even exceeded that of British cars. Indeed, for a period, engines would literally fall right out of relatively new cars! Some models attracted the attention of specialist designers, but when it came to Lancia, they seem to have been more influenced by images from Flash Gordon than anything else.