Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. finds itself on a long list of Italian automobile manufacturers. Founded by Vincenzo Lancia on 29th November 1906, Lancia became part of the Fiat Group in 1969, and is still owned by the conglomerate to this day.
The company had a production output of 98,000 units in 2012, exporting their cars to the US, UK and Japan. However, in January 2014, the CEO of Fiat Group Sergio Marchionne stated that Lancia will cease exporting cars and will only sell in the Italian market.
If you were living in the United Kingdom in 1980, you may remember Lancia's problems with their Lancia Beta model, and suffered a huge dent to their reputation in the process. All Lancia Beta models had to be purchased back from owners in a highly publicised and embarrassing media campaign, because the cars suffered from significant suspension sub-frame corrosion. The company never really recovered from this nightmare, and sales in the UK ceased completely in 2008 following the financial crisis.
In 2011, two models, the Lancia Ypsilon and Lancia Delta were re-introduced back into the British market, however they were re-branded under the Chrysler name.