Lancia is a sponsor of the Monaco Classic Week, one of the most prestigious events reserved to vintage sailing and power boats, organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco which wraps up today in Monte Carlo. Elegance, exclusivity, attention to detail, high-specification materials, are the century old distinguishing features of both Lancia cars and yachting products. In particular, the Phedra and Thesis models made available to the Yacht Club de Monaco, are the “flagships” of the Lancia range, a stylish and high-comfort expression of Lancia class, embodying the values of tradition and authentic VIP service.

Moreover, this year offers an opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Lancia Flaminia. First produced in 1957, the great Lancia was one of the most admired vehicles of its time, and still today is in use by the President of the Republic in Italy. This imposing, luxurious limousine was produced up to 1970 in three successive series. Fascinating coupé versions sculpted by Pininfarina, were the Touring and the Zagato.

The powerful six-cylinder engine of the Flaminia was also used to power a number of competition outboards, which were so successful that they quickly surged to the status of a class in their own right. Some of these masterpieces will participate in the Classic Week, and two extraordinary specimens of the Flaminia will be on show in the garden of the Yacht Club de Monaco. One is a Lancia Flaminia coupé Pininfarina, presented for the first time at the Turin Motor Show of 1956, in prototype version. Volume-produced starting from the following year, this streamlined four-seater two-door has a short wheelbase (reduced by 12 cm). The more powerful engine (119 HP against 102 HP) and reduced weight make for a top speed of 170 km/h, against the 160 of the sedan.
 

This model is to this day still considered one of the best ever created by the Turin stylist. If the Flaminia Coupé though is the car equivalent of the mighty competition powerboats, the refinement of vintage yachts can only be matched by an Artena Cabrio. In fact, the other car is a Lancia Artena Cabriolet of 1932, donated to the Lancia Collection by Countess Spreafico of Lecco. Sporting a 4-cylinder, 2000 cc powerplant, this fascinating specimen is one of the very first cars designed by Pinin Farina and, still today, is admired for its original two-tone body (black fenders and Bordeaux shell) and elegant cream soft top. Both cars on show are from the Lancia Collection.

"Lancia is honoured to support such a prestigious institution as the Yacht Club of Monaco during the Classic Week 2007," announces Olivier François, Managing Director of Lancia Automobiles. "For more than a century Lancia has been and continues to be the hallmark of elegance , exclusivity, attention to detail. Values which are shared with the best of yachting. I am sure that our "flagships" Thesis and Phedra will keep perfect company with the “Princesses of the sea” gathered at Montecarlo.

"It is also the occasion, for Lancia, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Lancia Flaminia, one of the cars that have made the history of our marque, with which Lancia introduced an extraordinary engine, highly popular also with the power boating community, to the point of resulting in the birth of the Lancia Class and, subsequently, the Classe Flaminia 2500.

A Lambro Flaminia powerboat, placed next to the Flaminia Coupé in the YCM garden, is a tribute to this successful match. Lancia is a motor manufacturer with history galore, with an ambitious future and inexhaustible energy reserves, the very energy which still today is let loose by the V6 of the Flaminia," concluded François.