The famous Lancia HF is back! Returning from a long slumber, the moniker will be applied to all high performance versions of the brand’s cars, beginning with the Ypsilon HF.
Originally beginning life in 1960 as the ‘Lancia Hi-Fi’ Club for the brand’s loyal customers, it was then taken on by rally team boss Cesare Fiorio in 1963. Fiorio led the Lancia 037 to a historic win over the Audi Quattro in the 1983 WRC. A victory that has been immortalized on the silver screen thanks to the premiere of ‘Race for Glory: Audi versus Lancia‘.
The new Ypsilon is not only the first car after the brand’s rebirth but it will also be the first to wear the resurrected HF badge. The colours are still the same with the combination of white, red and black but the look is now more contemporary! It’s purpose is to display the values of “innovation, premiumness, Italianity and eclecticism” which form the basis of Lancia’s high performance division. As such, the Ypsilon HF will be fully-electric and have 240bhp on tap, taking it from 0-100 in 5.8 seconds!
For those wondering about the relevance of the leaping elephant, it was chosen in 1953 by Gianni Lancia as a lucky charm. The symbol was based on the idea that leaping elephants in a race are unstoppable, it’s also a symbol that displays good luck and victory in Eastern mythology!
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Words by Matthew D’Souza, pictures courtesy of Stellantis Media Lancia.
