Lancia Design, innovation and tecnology.
Ivan Fenoglio
LANCIA
Marque history Vincenzo Lancia, one of the most famous car manufacturers in the world’s origin is not ‘technical’, it is not his father’s footsteps and has no kinship with those who build cars or have mechanical workshops: the brilliant Censin (his nickname) was created so as to rich family but the son of Cavalier Giuseppe Lancia, was in charge of processed foods ... Not only that, the very day of his birth, August 24, 1881 in Fobello, Val Sesia, the father, as well as for the other children, has already decided what will have to Vincenzo grew up: the lawyer. Instead of studying spends time in the workshop of the brothers Ceirano that mountain bikes and then sell with the brand Welleyes. And here the irreparable happens to the future of Vincenzo: the Ceirano brothers leave the bikes and begin to repair the first automobiles, improving them and processing them. And immediately the creations of Vincenzo prove stately, elegant, never excessive. Would say ‘noble’ but this character is likely to tarnish the innovative nature of its products because you can not ignore the fact that few brands in the world.
The birth of a legend
Centro Ricerche Fiat started its activity in 1978 as a reference center for innovation and development. Today it is a recognized center of excellence at the international level, with headquarters in Orbassano (Turin). Its mission is to use innovation as a strategic lever in the business of companies Fiat. With a workforce of around 1,000 employees, the Fiat Research Centre has a vast array of technical skills related to engineering automotive industry, which is flanked by a series of cutting-edge laboratories. Over the years, CRF has achieved significant results, as evidenced by the 2,860 registered patents and patent applications, and has developed a global network of over 1,760 collaborations with industrial partners, universities and research centers, able to further strengthen the innovation strategies, implement specific operations at the local level and ensure the development of ad hoc skills. Always at the forefront of technology and design
Innovation and technology The Lancia was always careful to always bring innovations in terms of technology. During the presentation of the first official model, 1908 was offered an innovative chassis. The following year he was presented the Lancia beta characterized by the adoption of the engine block and a (wanted) lowering the engine speed (limited to 1500 rpm).
Design and research The Lancia in time has always tried to support technological innovation more and more attention to the design, trying to join the canons of elegance of the brand with the sporting and dynamic that the market demands. In the panorama car in fact trying to give more dynamism to the forms. For instance it is very important that the car appears dinamice and performance even at a standstill. The Lancia is not new in the testing of prototypes that emulate the giants of the past such as Lacia Fulvia and Lancia Stratos. However, many projects have been shelved for lack of funds or lack of confidence in the current market for a car.
Projects ever made. Mere exercise in style or lack of resources?
“Americanata�
New details emerge about the operation that will lead to commercial fusion of Chrysler and Lancia brands: the American house, which as you know will leave Continental Europe remained only in the UK and Ireland, will leave room for expansion of the Turin brand in Europe. The merging of the two sales network, however, will lead to a reduction in the total number of showrooms: The sum of Lancia and Chrysler dealers will not be equal to the current, but will drop to about 350 units, to a height of 800.
Agreements with Chrysler
Fiat has officially started the process of merging networks to the European sales of Chrysler and Lancia brands. The news made official yesterday from Turin, will lead to the creation of a network with about 1,100 points of sale at the continental level in 2014.
But how will share the cake European Lancia and Chrysler? In all the countries of the old continent will be present Lancia, and the only exception will be made up of Great Britain and Ireland, where Lance will not be present and will therefore be marketed only where the Chrysler brand.
Crisis MILAN-The crisis in the automotive world also depends on insiders. It is an indictment of what comes from the presentation in Milan Automotive Dealer Day (Veronafiere 14-16 May 2013):
“There are no mature industries, not even that of the car it is, it is rather the strategies to be mature. It should innovate, rebalance the business and experiment with new formats, from the approach to the customer, from the internet, by post sales services, “said Leonardo Buzzavo, President of Quintegia, research companies on automobile diThe crisis is hard to stop and less registrations.
stribution and promoter of the event. THE NUMBERS - Words comforted by the numbers presented today: since 2002 the 41.7% of companies have di sappeared and those that remain have sold 40% less. The dealerships would, according Quintegia still too tied to the sale of the new: in Italy, 56% of the profits come from here, 33% from post-sales
activities and only 11% from not. The example to follow, even in this case, is Germany: the after-sales worth 66% of the business of a dealership compared to 26% of the new. Italy is also the last places in Europe for the aftermarket. INTERNET AND CHAIN - The message seems clear: waiting for government intervention, it is up to individual entrepreneurs back into the game by focusing on the internet, post-sale and used. At this point, the gauntlet has been launched, it will be up to 4,000 participants, including dealers, managers of the automotive industry and the
industry, expected in the three days of the Automotive Dealer Day, discuss and give a response to the crisis in a sector ( automotive industry) and in Italy is worth 11, 4% of GDP and it occupies, including the armature, about 1.2 million people.
Crisis Fiat, Marchionne scrapping the Spear: ‘The mark will be reduced or eliminated’ The group’s profit in the third quarter of 2012 is 951 million. Yet the debt rises to 6.7 billion. Cut production estimates, the focus of Alfa Romeo and Maserati. And on the Ypsilon: “monetize that model only, the rest of the range has no appeal.” It will not shut down any plant in Italy. But the title falls on the Stock Exchange Editor of The Daily | October 30, 2012 Comments (489) Crisis Fiat, Marchionne scrapping the Spear: ‘The mark will be reduced or eliminated’ The Lancia brand “will be reduced or eliminated.” Word of Sergio Marchionne, who announced the new strategy of the Fiat group in the marks. Strategy that focuses on two points: the destruction of the historic brand Lingotto relaunch of Alfa Romeo and Maserati. “Lance - he said - is not coming back what once was, now has a limited ap-
peal, explaining that the only economically viable model in Europe is the Ypsilon which will be preserved. As already happens today, then, the brand will live derived products designed by Chrysler in Detroit, at least until there is an economic return. “ From the slide that Sergio Marchionne has exhibited during the conference call emerge the downward revisions to the Fiat group. It is expected to achieve a balanced European activities in 2015-2016, but in 2014, the group has decided to cut from 104 to 94 to 98 billion. The goal is to “leverage the historical premium brands such as Alfa Romeo and Maserati, realign its product portfolio and reposition its business for the future.”
A choice, it should be noted, with respect to the alternative of “stay focused on the mass market.” Work on Italian plants will be developed within the next 24-36 months, and it is stressed in the slide, “will not close down any plant in Italy.” For a month, also said the CEO of Fiat, “we started working with the Italian government on interventions to improve the competitiveness of exports.”
The future According to the words and to rumors leaked by Fiat group seems that the label is about to retire and at least a reduction significaiva its vehicle fleet to make room for other house brands Fiat. Probably fans will molro disappointed but given the limited successes in recent years preferirarro remember the “good old days” rather than see passing through the streets of Turin car more and more American and less Lancia. The feeling is that these have not done much to try to bring the dawn a brand that has marked the history of Italian dell’auomobile preferring to focus on the image of the other makes of Fiat Group. Only time will tell if the decisions have proved right.
The end of a “cycle”
Come to end? Ivan Fenoglio nasce a Torino nel 1992. Diplomato al Liceo Scientifico intraprende la carriera del car designer frequentando l’Isituto Europeo di Design . Approcciatosi alla grafica solo quest anno relizza il suo primo lavoro producendo questo libro. AA
Fu vera gloria? Ai posteri l’ardua sentenza. It was true glory? For posterity will judge. Cinque Maggio. Alessandro Manzoni (1821)
Progettazione Grafica II anno A.A 2012/2013