1972 Lancia Fulvia 1.3s on 2040-cars

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Fiat Centro Stile sells design sketches to support kids in Italy

Fiat's Centro Stile design studio in Europe has kicked off a project called stART Again to support the global charity Save the Children. The studio put 136 high-resolution sketches of Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, and Lancia vehicles for download online at just ˆ20 a pop — about $22. The proceeds from all sales will be donated to a charity founded in England 101 years ago "to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic opportunities, as well as providing emergency aid in natural disasters, war, and other conflicts." Save the Children will use the funds to provide supplies, teaching materials, and support for studies for more than 100,000 children in the most disadvantaged areas of Italy who have been additionally harmed by the coronavirus and its effects. There are a heap of knockout drawings available. The selection at the Alfa Romeo store ranges from a 1958 Alfetta 158 racer to the coming Giulia GTA, classics in between including the immortal GTV 6 and the left-field 75 1.8 Turbo TCC racer. The Fiat marketplace contains wares from Abarth, Fiat, and Fiat Professional, with a massive emphasis on the new 500, but the hardcore 1972 Abarth 124 Spyder and oddball 900E van get slots in there (the 900E looks like a Volkswagen Vanagon, but the 900E came first). The Jeep shop is all business and big tires, save for the 1942 Willys MB, but someone needs to take the 1956 Jeep Forward Control sketch off the page and into reality. And the Lancia store has more to offer than the Stratos and Delta Integrale, an ominous Aurelia B20 GT and a Fulvia GT part of the five-model lineup. For some reason, Maserati got left out of the graphic bonanza, as did Ram, Dodge, and Chrysler, which is a shame. That still leaves 136 good reasons to click through and help the kiddies. Related Video:

Lancia steps off the chopping block, promises three new cars

Stellantis has canceled Lancia's death sentence and granted it a new lease on life. The storied Italian brand announced its own salvation and pledged to launch three new cars (its first since 2011) starting in 2024, including one that will resurrect a well-known nameplate. "Today is an important day. Lancia is ready for Europe, and we have taken the first step towards becoming a credible and respected brand in the premium segment," affirmed company CEO Luca Napolitano. He also presented a 10-year plan that he calls the brand's renaissance. As of writing, the only car in the Lancia portfolio is the Ypsilon (pictured). The model offensive will begin in 2024, when the little four-door hatchback (which remains stunningly popular in Italy in spite of its age) will finally get a replacement. Details about the next-generation model remain few and far between, but it will stretch about 157 inches long and it will be offered exclusively with an electric powertrain. The next Ypsilon will be joined by what Lancia calls a flagship in 2026. The model will measure 181 inches long, meaning it will be a couple of inches shorter than the current-generation BMW X3. It's too early to tell whether it will take the form of a sedan or an SUV. Lancia has never sold an SUV, and it has historically built big luxury sedans, but even European buyers prefer high-riding models in this segment. Finally, the third part of Lancia's renaissance is a long-rumored new Delta. It will stretch around 173 inches from bumper to bumper (so it will be about four inches longer than a Volkswagen Golf) and it will be characterized by what the firm describes as "a sculpted, muscular design with geometric lines that will appeal to enthusiasts." It sounds like Lancia designers will try to echo the original Delta, which was released in 1979 as a family-friendly hatchback and later morphed into one of the most successful World Rally Championship cars of all time. Some of Lancia's future models will be electrified, and the brand will go electric-only by 2028. And, we're told that every future member of the range will feature an interior with a typically Italian design, though photos of the upcoming Lancia models haven't been released yet. While it sounds like Lancia is saved, at least for the time being, several points remain in the air.

An amazing Group B rally car collection heads to auction

Kicking off in 1982, the Group B era spawned some of the most fearsome rally cars of all time. The technologically advanced pioneers of all-wheel drive and turbocharging defined a time when automakers had carte blanche to build machines with unrestricted power, without the burden of homologating a large number of road cars to qualify. The results were sometimes deadly, leading the FIA to ban the class after 1986. Now, a collection of seven Group B monsters is headed across the block in Paris as part of the Artcurial auction, held in partnership with France's famed Retromobile show. The show has been delayed to June, however. There's a 1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, one of 20 Evo II models that helped the company achieve two championships in Group B's short run. This particular example was driven by world champion Timo Salonen at the 1986 Swedish Rally, where it finished seventh due to an oil filter seal failure. Bruno Saby subsequently drove it at the 1986 Tour de Corse and Peugeot entered it at the 1986 Acropolis Rally as well. It's still registered to Peugeot Talbot Sport and represents a French technological achievement, according to Artcurial, comparable to the Concorde or TGV train. Representing Italy are a pair of Lancias in the iconic Martini livery. The Lancia 037 helped Bel Paese clinch its only Group B victory in 1983, after a hard-fought rivalry with Audi. It's one of the few Group B cars that weren't AWD, achieving its success the old-fashioned way, through lightness and superb handling. A second Lancia, a 1986 Delta S4, was the culmination of the Italian firm's later Group B efforts and one of Saby's favorites. While Group B was no more in 1987, the S4 was the predecessor to the Delta Integrale that would dominate WRC from 1987 through 1992. While the collection also includes greats like a Ford RS200, Renault 5 Maxi Turbo, and MG Metro 6R4, the centerpiece is the Audi Quattro Sport S1. The ultimate Group B machine, it introduced all-wheel-drive and turbocharging to the sport. It also employed the wildest use of wings and air dams to generate downforce. Tunable up to 590 horsepower, it could rocket to 60 mph in about three seconds. The car offered for sale came straight from Ingolstadt, a 1988 model built for the Race of Champions of ex-Group B cars. The collection was amassed in the late 80s and early 90s, not long after Group B's dissolution.