Gianni Lancia (16 November 1924 – 30 June 2014) was an Italian automobile engineer, industrialist and racing enthusiast, known for running the

Lancia Lancia () is an Italian car manufacturer and a subsidiary of FCA Italy S.p.A., which is currently a Stellantis division. The present legal entity of Lancia was formed in January 2007 when its corporate parent reorganised its businesses, but it ...

carmaker in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

(1949–55). Born in

Fobello Fobello is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Vercelli in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Vercelli. Fobello borders the following municipalities: Alto Sermenza, Bannio Anzino, Ca ...

(near Biella), he was the older son of

Vincenzo Lancia Vincenzo Lancia (24 August 1881 – 15 February 1937) was an Italian racing driver, engineer and founder of Lancia. Vincenzo Lancia was born in the small village of Fobello on 24 August 1881, close to Turin; his family tree starts in Fabell ...

and Adele Miglietti, and brother of Anna Maria and Eleonora. After his father's death (1937), the young Gianni Lancia took over the family business. Lancia's racing enthusiasm brought him to hire famed engineer and designer

Vittorio Jano Vittorio Jano ( hu, János Viktor; 22 April 1891 – 13 March 1965) was an Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s. Jano was born ''Viktor János'' in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immi ...

in 1945. In 1954 Lancia decided to try his luck in the newly-born Formula One world championship and scored a coup when he managed to lure away

Alberto Ascari Alberto Ascari (; 13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver and a two time Formula One World Champion. He was a multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. Ascari won consecutive world titles ...

from

Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Società per Azioni, S.p.A. () is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari and the racing team that competes in Formula One racing. The team is also known by the nickname "The Prancing Horse", in refere ...

. Despite Ascari winning the

1954 Mille Miglia The 1954 Mille Miglia (officially XXI Mille Miglia ), was a motor race open to Sports Cars, GT cars and Touring Cars. It was the 21st Mille Miglia and the third race of the 1954 World Sportscar Championship. The race was held on the public road ...

, poor racing results, coupled with Lancia's ambitious plan to put in production several expensive racing prototypes led the company to near-

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

. Following the death of Ascari during a test in May 1955, Lancia and his mother sold their shares in the Lancia company to Carlo Pesenti of

Italcementi Italcementi is an Italian multinational company, quoted on the Borsa Italiana, which produces cement, ready-mix concrete and construction aggregates. In 2015, 45% of Italcementi was acquired by HeidelbergCement, together forming the world's secon ...

in June 1956. Gianni Lancia then moved to

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, where he ran a canned goods business before returning to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

in the 1980s. He lately moved to France, settling in the Côte d'Azur region.Alberto Ascari life story
post by

Karl Ludvigsen Karl E. Ludvigsen (born April 24, 1934) is a journalist, author, and historian of the automotive industry and motor sports. Personal life Karl E. Ludvigsen was born on April 24, 1934 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was the son of Elliot "Lud" Ludv ...

Lancia had two sons, Mariele and Vincenzo, from his first marriage, and a son called Lorenzo from his second marriage with the French film-actress

Jacqueline Sassard Jacqueline Sassard (13 March 1940 – 17 July 2021) was a French actress who appeared in Italian films such as '' Guendalina'' directed by Alberto Lattuada, a young woman with family and financial troubles in Luigi Zampa's '' Il Magistrato'' a ...

. He died on 30 June 2014 in Turin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lancia, Gianni Lancia Lancia people 1924 births People from the Province of Vercelli 2014 deaths Formula One team owners Italian motorsport people