British premiere of a new feature documentary ‘Vincenzo Lancia and the Birth of Modern Motoring’ takes place in Leamington Spa…
The British premiere of the new feature documentary ‘Vincenzo Lancia & the Birth of Modern Motoring’ took place on Saturday 20th July at the Royal Spa Centre Cinema in Leamington Spa. Hosted by the Lancia Motor Club, Motul and the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, an audience of 200 guests enjoyed the screening and a display of over 50 Lancias outside the cinema.
The documentary has been produced by Berlinetta Films, with the support and participation of the Lancia Family and Lancia Clubs and community worldwide.
Today Lancia is celebrated worldwide as one of the great Italian marques and for its legendary rally conquests. However, few remember its founding father and the innovations he bought to automotive design that helped establish the blueprint for the modern motor car.
Vincenzo was the fastest racing driver of his era and in 1906 established Italy’s first automotive dynasty. By 1922 he had created one of the most innovative cars in the world, the Lancia Lambda, that combined a monocoque chassis, independent front suspension, a narrow V4 engine and four wheel braking – a package that put the Lambda a decade or more ahead of the competition.
He repeated this feat with the aerodynamic and compact Aprilia sporting saloon in 1937, the year of his premature death.
The International film premiere had already taken place in June and saw the gathering of 300 international guests and more than 50 Lancia Family members in the fitting surroundings of the former Fiat factory at Lingotto in Turin.
Further screenings will take place in the UK and internationally throughout the summer before a wider release later in the year. Dates will be available on the Berlinetta Films website.
Director, Josh Goode:
“The countless films about Enzo Ferrari tell the story of a man driven by the desire to win at any cost. In contrast, Vincenzo was a decent, cultured and free-thinking gentleman. His cars were never ostentatious statements – they were beautifully engineered, innovative and subtle. They weren’t the fastest or most expensive, but perfectly considered concoctions of form and function designed to deliver reliable and pleasurable driving to the discerning motorist. It is high time that his story was told.”
Executive Producer, Giovanni De Virgilio:
“The innovations introduced by Vincenzo and Gianni Lancia are still extremely successful both in the commercial and in the competition sector. Technological contributions that are certainly underrated at national and international level: this film is just one first brick to fill such a gap!”
Vimeo link: