Teasing with the Untouchables

Ever heard of Lancia? Its an old carmaker with an extremely rich history in both motorsport and upscale personal transportation. Models such as the Lambda, Aurelia and Stratos will forever rate highly on the must-have lists of classic car enthusiasts, while some of the nameplates more recent models, such as boxy but phenomenally quick all-wheel drive Delta Integrale rally car and artistically beautifully Thesis luxury sedan, currently available.

To European automotive enthusiasts the fact that the Lancia brand is no longer available in North America is a shame indeed, but its still

Unfortunately Lancia is no longer sold in North America, but its still interesting to check out what the brand offers on the other side of the Atlantic. (Photo: Lancia)

The Granturismo

The Granturismo Stilnovo concept marries two seemingly opposite ideals, sedan practicality and sports coupe high-performance. (Photo: Lancia)

The dream child of a joint venture between the Lancia Style Centre, Studio Carcerano and Carrozzeria Maggiora, the Stilnovo looks wonderful. If its an example of future Lancia design, North Americans had

Being a family guy, I can truly appreciate the way the car goes about solving the problem of melding passion and pragmatism. (Photo: Lancia)

Personally, I like the way the car goes about solving the problem of melding passion and pragmatism, or more specifically sport and practicality. Being a family guy, I always have to factor in where the kids will go when considering a new vehicle. Basically, Im left with the compromising situation of choosing from a few wagons, a bunch of minivans or a plethora of SUVs, most of which leave me feeling flat. Lancias answer to my problem is closest to my wants and needs than many others.

Its a midsize car, measuring 166.8 inches

Fitted with Lancias traditional bold grille, the Granturismo version of the Stilnovo looks powerful and stunning. (Photo: Lancia)

Based off of the Stilnovo concept that debuted in Paris earlier in 2003, the Granturismo version is cleaner in design and much better proportioned, and of course more sensible in application. The car was designed by Lancias chief designer Flavio Manzoni, no novice when it comes to penning stylish sheetmetal.

Manzoni has integrated the traditional Lancia grille, which has looked a bit on the heavy side on some previous models and concepts, to suit the Granturismo Stilnovo perfectly. The multifaceted

Lancias parent company Fiat is going through tough financial times, meaning that sadly the Stilnovo will probably never grace a production line. (Photo: Lancia)

Relatd Vehicle Listings