The son of a soup manufacturer, Vincenzo Lancia cut his teeth at Fiat before starting his own factory in Turin in 1906. The company quickly gained a reputation for styling flair and its use of advanced technology, with vee-engines and independent suspension being the norm long before other manufacturers were brave enough to try. It also had the first production five-speed gearbox, in 1948.

Sadly, its approach proved less than cost effective, and with deepening financial trouble, Fiat stepped in, in 1969. The legacy of a reputation damaged by rusty Betas saw it leave the UK market in 1994, but the badge continues elsewhere on luxury cars with Fiat underpinnings.