The Lancia Medusa is an Italian concept vehicle built by

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 ...

. It was designed by

Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont. Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...

and debuted in 1980 at the

Turin Auto Show The Turin Motor Show ( it, Salone dell'Automobile di Torino) was an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from ...

Specifications

The Medusa is based on the chassis and mechanics of the

Lancia Montecarlo The Lancia Montecarlo (Type 137) is a Pininfarina-designed mid-engined sports car produced by Lancia in Italy from 1975 to 1981. Cars from the first series, which were produced from 1975 to 1978, were known as Lancia Beta Montecarlos and those ...

, and thus uses the same mid mounted 2.0 L (1,995 cc) ''Lampredi'' I4 engine, producing 120 PS (88 kW; 118 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 170 Nm (125 lb ft) of torque, coupled to a 5 speed manual transmission from that car.

Design

The Medusa was designed by Italian designer

in 1979. Giugiaro designed the car to be as aerodynamic as possible, aiming for a target of 0.25 Cd, with the final design achieving a Cd of 0.263. The original the clay model reportedly had achieved a lower reading of 0.255 Cd, but the addition of side mirrors, indicator repeaters and a radiator caused it to go up. The Medusa featured many design elements that were tailored to help it achieve better aerodynamics. Features such as pop up headlights, door handles and window glazing that sit flush with the body, inset turn signal repeaters and doors that wrapped up into the roof all helped the Medusa to be as aerodynamic as possible.

Derivatives

A derivative for the

DeLorean Motor Company The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) was an American automobile manufacturer formed by automobile industry executive John DeLorean in 1975. It is remembered for the one model it produced—the stainless steel DeLorean sports car featuring gull-win ...

was produced in mock-up form, the DMC-24 4-door 4-seater sedan, by

Italdesign Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. is a design and engineering company and brand based in Moncalieri, Italy, that traces its roots to the 1968 foundation of Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. Best kno ...

. A derivative for

Lamborghini Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. () is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi. Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–1993) ...

was produced by Italdesign, which went to the prototype stage and ended up as a concept car, the

Lamborghini Marco Polo The Lamborghini Marco Polo, or Italdesign Marco Polo, was a styling exercise by Italdesign Giugiaro. Introduced in 1982 at the Bologna Motor Show, the Marco Polo was inspired by the Lancia Medusa concept car designed by Italdesign two years prior. ...

References

Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles Sports cars

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...

Italdesign concept vehicles {{Italy-stub