The Lancia Ypsilon marks the beginning of the revival of this iconic automotive manufacturer as it reignites the focus on true Italian elegance.
Introducing the new Lancia Ypsilon Edizione Limitata Cassina, the inaugural edition of Lancia’s new model and the car it hopes will restore its prominence as a high-end design-led company after many years in the wilderness. Only 1906 numbered cars will be produced (a nod to the year of the company’s founding), all of which will be pure electric vehicles. The new Ypsilon, which will also go on sale simultaneously, is available as both an electric and hybrid vehicle, and will be followed by the Delta model in 2025 and the flagship Lancia Gamma in 2026.
By involving the legendary furniture company in this launch edition, Lancia has made a bold statement of intent. One of the 14 brands under the Stellantis stable, Lancia has lagged behind its peers, with only one model available, a declining market share, and the fallout from an unfortunate link with Chrysler that did much to dilute the company’s individualistic image. Teresa Mendicino, Lancia’s brand design lead, emphasizes that they “aimed to do the most in terms of brand”. This included a new corporate identity and badge, as well as an entirely new design language and product strategy for the cars themselves.
“We are a small team with a lot of passion,” Mendicino says. “We all sat down together and devised a strategy to elevate to the next level, where we all felt Lancia belonged. We must carefully calibrate many different elements – what we call our ‘codes of desirability’.”
Lancia’s heritage is rich. Founded in 1906, it was technically innovative and celebrated for the beauty of its cars, many of which were shaped by the greatest coachbuilders. It also enjoyed huge success in motorsport, particularly rallying.
All of this contributes to creating a heavyweight Italian cultural presence, even if the reality of the company in the early 2020s was far from being on-brand. Mendocino and her team realized that every facet of Lancia’s “Renaissance” would need to be carefully coordinated. “There is a lot of emotion in the imagery we use,” she explains, “which includes architecture, product design, fashion – every element of the Italian lifestyle.”
Cassina CEO Luca Fuso is excited about the new collaboration. After decades of manufacturing and supplying designs by some of the most acclaimed designers of the 20th and 21st centuries, Cassina has now set its sights on another aspect of design. The Lancia Ypsilon Edizione Limitata Cassina not only marks the rebirth of the brand but also the beginning of a design partnership with Cassina aimed at strengthening the Italian roots of both companies.
Gianni Colonello is in charge of Lancia Interior Design. In addition to initiating the partnership with Cassina, his portfolio is enviable. “Although it has been a very intense and short process, it’s a truly unique job for a designer,” he says, “you don’t often get the chance to start from scratch.”
Colonello describes how each member of his design team has their own vision of Lancia, but that “somehow, they all align.” “We know that Lancia is very Italian, but it also has a very unique approach to design,” he continues, “it’s a very culture-focused approach.” Hence the collaboration with Cassina.
“Both brands are deeply rooted in Italy,” Fuso agrees. “Lancia reached out to us with the idea of rediscovering that long-lost spirit in Lancia cars. They were once known as ‘salons on wheels’ – very comfortable, high-performance, but also beautiful inside and out. Lancia wanted Cassina to be their partner in helping shape this new generation of interior design.”
The process began in 2022, roughly around the time Lancia was describing its new distinct identity. The first order of business was to help shape the colors and materials for Lancia’s starting piece, the Lancia Pu+Ra HPE Concept 2023. “The idea was to feel at home in the car,” says Fuso, “and we also worked on elements like the ‘coffee table’ in the middle of the car.” The Pu+Ra concept represents Lancia’s greatest past successes, all smoothly integrated into a sleek electric vehicle with a minimal space-age interior and a body that references key cars like the wedge-shaped Stratos rally car from the 1970s.
“We pushed for an architectural approach,” says Colonello. “You can really see the structure. It’s a mix of classical, modern, and eclectic shapes – all very eclectic.” The ‘table’ was at the heart of the process. “This table element started in the concept but became part of the new Ypsilon,” says Fuso. “That’s where the collaboration between the two companies really took shape.” Finished in weathered saddle leather, the dark blue color is another familiar Lancia trope. Cassina’s team was also deployed to give the entire interior a sense of refinement and simplicity that echoed their high-end furniture.
“We asked Lancia to remove the chrome trim and replace it with black, both inside and out,” says Fuso, who explains the other major feature – the dark blue velvet seats with their striped ‘cannelloni’ cushion supports – “reminded us of Lancia models from the 1970s.” The concept exaggerated these design elements, and Colonello describes how “simple, geometric, and readable volumes” were pierced into the new Ypsilon, a fact highlighted by the launch edition.
“Lancia and Cassina are examples of Italian excellence,” he says. Other innovations include the debut of Lancia’s S.A.L.A. infotainment system – “Sound, Air, Light, and Augmentation” – which centralizes audio, air, and light controls.
“We are very pleased with the result,” says Fuso. “I think we really conveyed a relaxed atmosphere.” The collaboration also extends to Cassina’s presence in Lancia’s new brand experience centers, the first of which opened in Milan in 2023. These “Casa Lancia” spaces feature Cassina furniture and lighting, as well as a carefully composed color palette.
The Pu+Ra HPE concept drew explicit influence from the work of another Cassina stable designer, Vico Magistretti, whose Maralunga armchairs are evoked by the bold, thick front seats of the concept.
The furniture manufacturer has had some brushes with automotive design in the past. Mario Bellini’s iconic Kar-a-sutra from 1972 was built by Cassina, with its spacious, padded interior and wedge-shaped form predating the MPV trend of the following decade (Bellini was also responsible for the trypophobic dashboard of the 1980 Lancia Trevi).
For Colonello, Cassina’s involvement shows how Lancia can also adapt to its past while moving forward. “They still produce their classic furniture,” he explains, adding that Lancia’s collection of historic vehicles is just 50 meters from his studio in Turin. This is where nine classic cars from Lancia’s past have been selected and distilled into the shapes, colors, and ethos of the Pu+Ra HPE concept. They include the luxurious Flaminia, the influential Aurelia B20 GT, the Delta and Stratos