It is one of the companies that, with its innovations, sealed the course of the automotive industry. It made history in many areas, such as the World Rally Championship, where it still holds the absolute record with the Delta HF Integrale. In recent years, however, it was considered clinically dead. And practically, it was, considering that it had virtually no models with which to stand on the market. With the creation of Stellantis (the behemoth that came out of the PSA-FCA merger), Lancia seems to be getting the chance it deserves.
It is no exaggeration to say that Lancia, with a history of almost 115 years, is a landmark brand for the European and global automotive industry. Born in 1906 in the city of Turin by the genius racing driver and engineer Vincenzo Lancia, it created a true legend around its name, thanks to its great successes in racing, but also to its production models that stood out for their style, innovation and engineering excellence.
The legendary Italian marque has every right to "look to the stars" (that's what the Latin name Stellantis stands for), as confirmed by Stellantis Group Head of Design, Jean-Pierre Ploué, who will himself - personally - oversee Lancia's design department at the Centro Stile in Turin: "The Lancia renaissance is a challenge that generates real excitement. Lancia is a landmark brand that will regain its historic position in Europe based on its enormous potential."
For the uninitiated, 58-year-old Jean-Pierre Ploué is considered one of the most important figures in the world of car design. After graduating from the École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art in 1985, he went straight to work at Renault (until 1995) where he designed the Laguna concept, the Twingo and worked on the design of the Renault Clio II and Megane I. He then worked at the Volkswagen Design Centre in Wolfsburg and at Ford in Germany, and in 1999 he replaced Arthur Blakeslee as head of the Citroën Design Centre.
The French brand took on the difficult project of renewing the brand, marking a new era for Citroën. Heading the brand's design department, he is credited with the launch of a series of successful models, including the C4, the second-generation C5, the C6, and the DS3. Ploué led the launch of several concepts such as the C-Sport Lounge, C-Métisse, Citroën Metropolis and GT by Citroën, before being promoted to the position of PSA group design director, under the high mentorship of Gilles Vidal at Peugeot and Thierry Métroz at Citroën. With the creation of Stellantis, Ploué was appointed Head of Design for Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Fiat (for Europe), Lancia, Opel, Peugeot and Vauxhall.
And will he be alone in the new project he's taking on? Already, at Centro Stile a special design team has been set up, focused on the Lancia renaissance. This team, made up of young, talented designers, will be led by Mr. Jean-Pierre Ploué. Excited about this concept, Lancia CEO Luca Napolitano seems to be enthusiastic: "I want to welcome Jean-Pierre Ploué. It is an honour to be able to count on such a dynamic team of professionals. Together we will all work for the success of LANCIA."
