Vincenzo Lancia

Vincenzo Lancia (1881 to 1937) was an Italian racing driver, engineer and the founder of the car maker Lancia. Born in the village of Fobello near Turin, he trained as a bookkeeper but was drawn to machinery, became an apprentice with the bicycle importer Giovanni Battista Ceirano and by 1900 was chief inspector and test driver at Fiat. He raced for Fiat with success, winning the Gold Cup in Milan in 1906 in a Fiat 28-40 HP. His first car was built in 1907, and he went on to produce groundbreaking models such as the Lambda and the Aprilia. In 1930 he co-founded the coachbuilder Carrozzeria Pinin Farina with Giovanni Battista Farina. He died of a heart attack in 1937, and his wife Adele and son Gianni carried on managing the firm until its sale in 1955.