Vincenzo Lancia would have been proud, the elegant Piazza San Carlo in the centre of Turin brimming with 300 Lancias, arriving from all corners of the globe helping the famous Italian marque celebrate 100 years in the business. For the last day of this international gathering, after a week of touring around Piedmont, the participants treated onlookers to an involving display of automotive history bringing the city centre to a standstill. The itinerary, organised by the Lancia Club Turin, included visits to significant locations from the company’s past including the Lancia production line, Collezione Pininfarina and the Museo dell’Auto Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, inaugurating an exhibition to mark the occasion. The display starred one of two surviving 1955 Lancia D50 Formula One cars and the LC2 Group C racer from 1983.
Awaiting in Piazza San Carlo was the first car to carry the Stratos name, the recently restored Bertone ‘Zero’ concept car of 1970. This stunning vehicle was soon eclipsed by examples of virtually every model that Lancia has produced. With an overwhelming British presence, notably numerous examples of the Delta Integrale, Holland, Germany and rather impressively Australia and America were also represented, insuring the Italians were the minority on home ground.
One particularly interesting car driven from the UK was the 1934 Augusta March Special. This elegant sports tourer was designed and subsequently owned by the then Earl of March, Freddie March (owner of Goodwood Park) and has an impressive competition history to boot.
No Lancia party would be complete without acknowledging its competition heritage, a distinctive thunder resonating around Turin’s streets minutes before the mighty Fulvia HF, Alitalia Stratos, 037 and Delta S4 Rally cars came into view.
To complete a thrilling day, the more interesting models took the spotlight whilst marque experts, including the curator of the Collezione Storica Lancia, Enrico Masala, shared details and anecdotes of each with the crowd.
1936 Lancia Aprilia in the Piazza San Carlo.
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The original 1970 Lancia Stratos.
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Delta HF Integrale in the Piazza.
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Judges behold
a Veteran Lancia.
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Lancia Lambda, with unit body construction.
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The classic Lancia Stratos of race and rally fame.
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Lancias in the Museo dell' Auto.
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1956 Floride, another car in the Museo dell' Auto.
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Saving the best for last, the only Lancia Formula One car, the Jano-designed D50 of 1955.
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Flaminia "Presidenziale".
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1992 Zagato Hyena.
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Lancia 037 heads a parade in Turin.
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