Home Part 2: The Last 100 years 8: Car Manufacturers by Country 8.10 Italy 8.10.5. Lancia History of Lancia Motor Cars / Automobiles 8.10.5. Lancia The Lancia & Co Fabricca Automobili company was founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and a colleague. It became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The Theta model the company produced between 1913 and 1918 is thought to have been the first car in Europe fitted with a full electrical system. In 1922 they produced the Lambda model, a car with brakes fitted to all 4 wheels. Other models produced between 1906 and 1939 include the Zeta, Artena, Astura, Augusta and the Dilamda. Lancia achieved a great deal of success rallying with their Fulvia, Stratos and Delta models, winning the world rally championship eleven times between 1972 and 1992 (more victories than any other manufacturer). Immediately after the end of World War 2 Lancia introduced two cars that had been developed before the war; the 1,486 cc Aprillia (1946-49) and the 903 cc Ardea (1946-49). New models produced between the 1950s and 1990s include the Aurelia, Appia  and Flaminia (1950s), Flavia and Fulvia (1960s), Beta, Stratos, Gamma and Delta (1970s), Thema, Dedra and Prisma (1980s) and Kappa (1994). Recent models include the Ypsilon, Musa, Lybra, Thesis and Phedra.   [ Back ]