Lancia comes to the UK...

[vit4]

Yep! Saw an advert for the Lancia Delta on TV earlier, got a bit excited actually. Couldn't hear the sound of the TV but recognised the car instantly, and whilst that may well be a mundane car to start with, my head suddenly filled with dewy-eyed visions of petite Italian sports cars and mad rally machines all adorned with that wonderful badge flooding back to the UK en masse, instantly becoming the connoisseur's first port of call in every segment.


Except it turns out to be the "Chrysler Delta" in the UK. Bugger

http://www.worldcarfans.com/111082536045/chrysler-...


Anybody have any idea why they've chosen to sell it under Chrysler (which, AIUI doesn't have a great image in the UK anyway?) as opposed to just bringing Lancia back? Feels like the right time, but then I was very young when they stopped selling them here the last time...

[Chrisw666]

Lancia only has nostalgia, which when mixed with reality bring memories of fragile cars that needed lots of attention and not enough Martini liveried integrales drifting through forests.

Lancia line up now seems a very odd collection of rebadged tat or badge engineered cars that are worse than their siblings.

[paulrussell]

vit4 said:

Anybody have any idea why they've chosen to sell it under Chrysler (which, AIUI doesn't have a great image in the UK anyway?) as opposed to just bringing Lancia back? Feels like the right time, but then I was very young when they stopped selling them here the last time...

It's because Lancia don't have any infrastructure here, and it'll cost alot of money to build it up. Also I think it's the image Lancia has in the UK. Lancia are well known for the Intergrale Delta and Stratos, and it's changed the kind of car it builds now, so it would get slated here for not being anything like it was known as previously.

[Mr Dave]

I saw one with dealer signs all over it, really quite a lot bigger looking in the metal but nice back lights. The front is a crime against humanity however and its pretty pricey.

[RobDickinson]

Lancia sold 80 cars in the Uk in their last year of operating.

They probably all dissolved before their first service too.

A petrol head may fondly remember lancia, the average punter wont.

[Pints]

OP, if you're that keen on it being a Lancia, I'm sure you could just remove the Chrysler badge and replace with the "correct" badge.

[Fulvisti]

I think the Chrysler version of the grille is different too, as with the wheels centres etc. But it's all easily available via ebay etc. I'm hoping they keep the Lancia badges on them if they bring them down under.

[fathomfive]

Pints said:

OP, if you're that keen on it being a Lancia, I'm sure you could just remove the Chrysler badge and replace with the "correct" badge.

Bentley?

[Amateurish]

Lanica and Chrysler are now the same "brand" effectively, with the same products sold in different markets branded according to the relative strength of each brand pre Chrysler Group - Fiat merger. So in UK Chrysler was chosen while in the rest if Europe, Lancia was chosen. Hence Chrysler Delta over here and Lancia will sell the 300C, Grand Voyager, 200C etc over the channel.

[marcosgt]

paulrussell said:

vit4 said:

Anybody have any idea why they've chosen to sell it under Chrysler (which, AIUI doesn't have a great image in the UK anyway?) as opposed to just bringing Lancia back? Feels like the right time, but then I was very young when they stopped selling them here the last time...

It's because Lancia don't have any infrastructure here, and it'll cost alot of money to build it up. Also I think it's the image Lancia has in the UK. Lancia are well known for the Intergrale Delta and Stratos, and it's changed the kind of car it builds now, so it would get slated here for not being anything like it was known as previously.

Maybe amongst a minority, but the majority (and the press) remember Lancia for cars that rusted away on the forecourt (The Beta - made from untreated Russian steel, I believe).

That's the main reason Lancias aren't sold in the UK anymore and the reason it's better to brand the car as a Chrysler of all things!

M.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Shame Chrysler insist in using their basic name in UK - leaving the "Dodge Magnum" rebranded as the less excitingly labelled "Chrysler 300C Touring".

"Dodge Delta" would have a certain ring to it!

[thetapeworm]

I saw a lot of the Lancia variant in Rome last year and thought to myself "that's why they aren't trying to sell in the UK, it's nasty-looking" but then I saw the Chrysler advert on Monday, I suspect I won't see many of the actual cars though.

[WeirdNeville]

I had a Lancia Ypsilon as a hire car. It was woeful. I think Lancia have forgotten everything they ever knew about making exciting cars.

[Alfa numeric]

PH view of Lancia:



Public's view of Lancia:




From what I've seen I'd say modern Lancia's probably fit the public perception of Chrysler as a brand. Plus thay can't be any worse than what Chrysler offer at the moment...

[Amateurish]

WeirdNeville said:

I had a Lancia Ypsilon as a hire car. It was woeful. I think Lancia have forgotten everything they ever knew about making exciting cars.

The Chrysler Ypsilon will be on our shores shortly.

However, Dodge has died a death in the UK and will no longer be sold here.

[marcosgt]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Shame Chrysler insist in using their basic name in UK - leaving the "Dodge Magnum" rebranded as the less excitingly labelled "Chrysler 300C Touring".

Oh yeah, we all want to tell our mates we've got a Magnum



M.

[Hugo a Gogo]

2011 Ypsilon looks ok, from the rear anyway, built on the FIAT 500/Panda/Ford Ka platform so shouldn't be bad

appropriately for a small car it will be made in Tychy

[RizzoTheRat]

They're just not going to be the same though are they. A mate of mine had a Martini liveried Delta HF Turbo, probably not that quick by modern standards but a fantastic car in its day, shame it looked like a Polo though.

[LuS1fer]

Amateurish said:

The Chrysler Ypsilon will be on our shores shortly.

However, Dodge has died a death in the UK and will no longer be sold here.

Chrysler died the death too - they just haven't realised.....but they will.

[angry jock]

RizzoTheRat said:

They're just not going to be the same though are they. A mate of mine had a Martini liveried Delta HF Turbo, probably not that quick by modern standards but a fantastic car in its day, shame it looked like a Polo though.

yep could be twins!