Lancia brings its little red elephant back to the road and celebrates 60 years of HF passion

• Lancia celebrates the return of its little red elephant and the HF logo, two icons of sportiness and passion, bringing them back to the road and rallies for a new era of excitement.
• The two symbols feature on both the new high-performance versions of the new Ypsilon—280-hp electric HF and HF line—and the racing versions—Rally 4 HF and HF Racing.
• The new HF logo is a contemporary reinterpretation of the original emblem, combining historical forms, authentic colors, and a pared-down design.
• The Ypsilon Rally4 HF marks Lancia’s return to rallying, with a vehicle developed in collaboration with champion Miki Biasion. Alongside it, the Ypsilon HF Racing serves as a gateway into racing without compromising performance and safety.
• The Ypsilon HF is Lancia’s new fully electric 280-hp halo car, with lowered suspension and exhilarating performance (accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds), while the Ypsilon HF Line ensures pure and balanced thrills in everyday driving.
• In 1965, the elegant and sporty Fulvia Coupé made its debut, becoming the first Lancia to bear the HF logo just one year later.
• Founded in 1963 by Cesare Fiorio, the legendary Squadra Corse HF—sporting the four famous little red elephants during races—dominated the rally world for two decades, first with the Fulvia Coupé HF and later with the Stratos, Rally 037, Delta S4, and various evolutions of the Delta Gruppo A. 

Some symbols need no explanation. Just a few centimeters on a car’s flank are enough to tell an entire story—one filled with engines roaring through curves, snow melting beneath hot tires, dusty roads, and evenings illuminated by headlights. Among these emblems of audacity and determination, Lancia’s HF logo and red elephant stand out as indelible symbols which have embodied the Italian brand’s most authentic and daring racing spirit for over 60 years.

And today, these two symbols return to ignite the passion of fans around the world—whether they’re lining rally stages to see the Ypsilon Rally4 HF (and soon, the all-new Ypsilon Rally Racing) or getting behind the wheel of the new 280-hp electric HF and HF Line road versions, experiencing the authentic emotions only a Lancia can deliver.

With the return of these two legendary emblems, Lancia opens a new chapter in its more than 100-year history. The moment coincides with an anniversary closely tied to both of them: the 1965 debut of the Fulvia Coupé at the Geneva Motor Show. Destined to become a timeless icon, the Fulvia Coupé perfectly embodied Italian elegance and sportiness. The following year, in 1966, this very model became the first to bear the HF logo, marking the beginning of the Turin-based brand’s most glorious motorsport era. To this day, Lancia remains the most successful brand in rally history with ten World Constructors’ Championships, three World Endurance Constructors’ Championships, one 1000 Miglia, two Targa Florio, and one Carrera Panamericana.

Let’s take a journey through the history of the Fulvia Coupé HF, the two iconic symbols, and the latest HF models of Lancia’s new era—where values and vision have come together to revive the brand’s racing heritage and carry it into the mobility of tomorrow.

1965 debut of the iconic Fulvia Coupé, the predecessor to the first HF race car in 1966

Ownership of Lancia transferred to Carlo Pesenti in 1959, following which the brand’s Technical Director Antonio Fessia successfully ushered in a new era of mass-produced front-wheel drive cars beginning with the Flavia in the early 1960s. A professor at the Polytechnic University of Turin, Fessia was a staunch advocate of this technical solution, which was innovative at the time but would later become the most widely adopted configuration by all car manufacturers to this day. It was customary for Lancia to launch cars with a larger or smaller sister model, as in the case of the Aprilia/Ardea and Aurelia/Appia. So in 1963 the Flavia was followed by its "little sister" the Fulvia, which combined innovation and tradition in its technical solutions. The Fulvia also adopted the new front-wheel drive setup but with a narrow V 4-cylinder engine in keeping with Lancia convention. Four efficient disc brakes, another rarity for the time, underlined the excellence of the equipment, which borrowed heavily from the Flavia. The Fulvia Coupé was created two years later from the pen of designer Piero Castagnero. Drawing inspiration from the contours of Riva motorboats, the then manager of the Lancia Style Centre designed an elegant 2+2 sports coupé with a bright interior, featuring large windows and a much more raked windscreen and rear window compared with the saloon version. The first Fulvia Coupé was fitted with a 4-cylinder 1216 cc engine producing 80 hp, which was soon raised to 1.3 litres and subsequently to 1.6 litres. The model’s defining elegance and class didn’t prevent Lancia’s factory racing team Squadra Corse HF Lancia from using it in competitions, particularly in rallies.

Fulvia Coupé HF and the dawn of an unparalleled motorsport era

After the great racing successes of Gianni Lancia in the 1950s, the Lancia sports team was relaunched in February 1963, almost as a private initiative by loyal enthusiasts of the Turin-based brand, because Fessia’s engineering approach was not conducive to competitions. The team was headed by Cesare Fiorio, team driver and son of the brand’s then chief of public relations Sandro. The budding young manager would go on to mastermind great successes for Lancia, Fiat and Abarth in rally and endurance championships in the years that followed, before being appointed sporting director of the Ferrari Formula One team in 1989. The Fulvia Coupé spawned the HF versions, which were built for racing and had a more spartan trim with no bumpers, aluminium doors and front/rear bonnets, and tuned-up engines. The first HF was equipped with a 1216 cc engine boosted to 88 hp and a four-speed gearbox (435 units from 1966 to 1967). It was followed by the 1.3 HF with flared wheel arches and an output of 101 hp (882 units between 1968 and 1969, with later ones trialling a five-speed gearbox). In 1969 came the 1.6 HF, nicknamed "Fanalone" (or "Fanalona") meaning "big headlamps", on account of its oversized headlights. It produced 115 hp (130 hp in the 1016 version) and 1258 units were built, plus another 20 chassis for the Squadra Corse team. The Fulvia Coupé 1600 HF second series did away with the aluminium parts and was mostly produced in the Lusso ("Luxury") version, with a total of 3690 units produced from 1970 to 1973. Practically all the 1.2 and 1.3 HF cars were painted in a dark red shade called Amaranto Montebello, with a blue-on-yellow longitudinal stripe (the heraldic colours of Turin) on the bonnet, roof and boot lid. The 1.6 HF initially sported the same livery, although later models were mostly finished in Corsa Red. And it was this red livery, with the bonnet painted matte black to minimise reflections and "LANCIA-ITALIA" emblazoned across the front, that distinguished the most famous Fulvia of all: the fabled 1600 HF bearing the race number 14, which triumphed at the Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo in 1972, taming more powerful and advanced rivals in the legendary special stage at Col de Turini on 28 January 1972. It was a memorable triumph that came towards the end of the Fulvia’s long and decorated career, after it had already been in production for years: the first victories actually dated back to 1969 with Barbasio in the Elba Rally and Harry Källström in Spain and in the RAC Rally in England. However, that 1972 Monte Carlo triumph was an extraordinary success that had a regenerative effect on the whole Lancia brand, boosting sales and prolonging the life of the Fulvia Coupé, which was eventually discontinued in 1976. To commemorate its victory at the Monte Carlo Rally, Lancia produced a special "Monte-Carlo" edition of the Fulvia Coupé 1.3 S closely resembling the legendary "Fulvia #14". Subsequent wins in the Morocco and Sanremo rallies propelled Lancia to victory in the 1972 International Championship for Manufacturers, cementing the popularity of a sport that had previously struggled to gain traction with the Italian public. Perfectly preserved and still with marks on the bodywork from that unforgettable night, the legendary Fulvia HF 1.6 #14 is exhibited in the "Rally Era" space of the Heritage HUB, alongside a total of eight competition cars that once dominated dirt tracks and roads around the world.

The Lancia Squadra Corse and the HF logo with four red elephants on the track

The HF logo was introduced for the first time in 1960, at the Geneva Motor Show, when a group of passionate Lancia car owners founded the "Lancia Hi-Fi" club (Hi-Fi stands for High-Fidelity), reserved for those who have purchased at least six brand new Lancia cars. The initials HF first appeared on some Lancia sports models, such as the Flaminia Pinin Farina Coupé, the Flaminia Sport Zagato, and the Flavia Coupé. A few years later, in February 1963, together with some drivers and passionate Lancia car owners, Cesare Fiorio founded the HF Lancia Racing Team. The logo chosen for the Racing Team consists of the uppercase letters HF, white on a black background, with four red elephants running as mascots and the uppercase inscription SQUADRA CORSE, white on a red background, below. The legendary Fulvia Coupé HF of ’66 was the first to showcase it, remembered for its countless rally victories, followed by the unbeatable Stratos HF from 1974 to 1978, the Delta Turbo in 1983, and finally the Delta 4WD, Delta Integrale, and Delta HF Integrale Evolution. Numerous were the successes of Lancia HF cars since the birth of the HF Lancia Racing Team. In 1972, the Fulvia HF won the International Constructors’ Championship, which became the World Rally Championship from the following year; a competition that saw the same Fulvia HF and the Stratos HF triumph in 1974 and the Stratos HF in the biennium 1976-1977, culminating in the six consecutive titles won between 1987 and 1992 by the iconic Delta HF with all-wheel drive, a model capable of excelling in various versions, 4WD, 8v, 16v, and Evolution. Now, we just have to find out why a large animal like the elephant was chosen—one that certainly doesn’t suggest agility or performance. In reality, between legend and reality, it is said that already in 1953 the little elephant was chosen as a lucky charm by Gianni, son of Vincenzo Lancia and CEO of the car manufacturer from 1949 to 1955. The meaning would be attributed to the idea that, once launched into a race, elephants are unstoppable. The symbol of the galloping pachyderm, initially depicted in blue and then in red, seems to come from Eastern mythology, as a symbol of good luck and victory, as long as it is represented with the trunk extended forward.

The new HF logo renews a symbol of Lancia sportiness

Today Lancia Centro Stile has reinterpreted the HF original logo, making it contemporary. In particular, the colors of the HF logo, white, red, and black, have been reused, without adding graphic elements, but simplifying them and making them purer, while respecting the unmistakable geometries of the Lancia brand. The colors are those of the official logo of the 1966 Fulvia Coupè, while the inclination of the letters is that of the logo of the Lancia Delta from the 1990s to express speed and radicality. The new HF logo is Progressive Classic because, in a perfect balance between past and future, all the distinctive elements of the historic brand, composed of the little elephant and the acronym, are now reinterpreted to be projected into the future. The constituent elements of the brand are symbols of Lancia heritage that are now simplified, both in terms of lines and shapes, creating a new balance capable of expressing innovation, premiumness, and Italianity with a touch of eclecticism.

280-hp Lancia Ypsilon HF

An expression of the brand’s most competitive and high-performance spirit, the new Lancia Ypsilon HF features a lowered suspension, a wheel track widened by 3 cm, and assertive, muscular forms designed for performance and inspired by the brand’s most radical, iconic cars. For these reasons, the Ypsilon HF stands as the new halo car in Lancia’s lineup: a strategic model designed to serve as the purest expression of the brand’s values. Performance is nothing short of exceptional: equipped with a fully electric 280-hp (207 kW and 345 Nm of torque), the Lancia Ypsilon HF accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds, reaches a top speed of 180 km/h, and offers 370 km of range with standard tires (based on the WLTP cycle) thanks to a 54-kWh lithium-ion battery (400V) and fast charging of up to 100 km in 10 minutes. With elements that instantly express the HF identity, the style has been perfectly aligned to its sporty character. The dedicated front bumpers featuring an HF logo, the 18” alloy wheels, the rear diffuser, and the wheel arches create a muscular and assertive profile, which has been enhanced by dark badges, a wheel track widened by 30 mm, and a suspension lowered by 20 mm. The stylistic work embraces Lancia’s new Pu+Ra language—pure and radical—offering a modern interpretation of iconic design elements such as the Stratos-inspired circular taillights and a pared-down, sculpted profile. The interiors also reflect the evolution of Lancia’s sporty heritage. The Delta Evoluzione-inspired, laser-cut Econyl sport seats (with a “cannelloni-style” design on the HF Line), the perforated leather steering wheel with the HF logo, the aluminum pedal set, the new graphic interface of the S.A.L.A system, and the dashboard with colors that shift from blue to orange create an immersive and technological environment aligned with the model’s dynamic spirit. Additionally, the Ypsilon HF performance is enhanced by a Torsen limited-slip differential that optimizes traction during cornering and improves safety in low-grip conditions. The Alcon braking system—featuring monobloc four-piston calipers and enlarged 355-mm discs—ensures power, stability, and fatigue resistance; meanwhile, the fine-tuning of the chassis and suspension—with rigidity increased by up to 67% at the front and 153% at the rear anti-roll bar—guarantees precise and engaging driving dynamics without compromising comfort. Yet, the Ypsilon HF not only offers power and dynamism but also advanced technology, state-of-the-art safety, and superior comfort. Standard features include a 10.25” digital cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, automatic climate control, wireless smartphone charging, the SALA Hub, and ambient lighting, in addition to level-2 autonomous driving capabilities: automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, Blind Spot Monitoring, Adaptive Cruise Control, traffic sign recognition, and front and rear cameras. All of these features make the Ypsilon HF the most radical and technological expression of Lancia’s new generation, which is geared towards the future yet rooted in its past. Lastly, the body colors are available in Nero Ardesia, Bianco Quarzo, and the vibrant Arancione Lava—a tribute to the legendary Fulvia and Stratos race cars.

Lancia Ypsilon HF Line

The new Lancia Ypsilon HF line features an audacious, unique, and immediately recognizable look. The new front bumper is sculpted around the HF logo and the iconic Red Elephant, while the 17” alloy wheels highlight its sportiness. On board, the cabin has been designed to stir up emotions. The model-specific seats with orange contrast stitching bring the “cannelloni” pattern back to pay tribute to the brand’s racing icons. Elsewhere, the sporty perforated leather steering wheel with the HF logo offers an authentic tactile experience, while the dedicated door-panel upholstery and the electric-blue dashboard provide a sense of bold elegance—motorsport-inspired in pure HF style. In short, every detail contributes to creating an immersive and distinct atmosphere. Moreover, the digital experience takes a step forward with the new S.A.L.A. HF graphics, available on a double 10.25” screen, which gives the infotainment system a sporty look; meanwhile, the dark accents and the aluminum pedal set complete a cabin that has been designed for those who want to set themselves apart every day. In addition to the S.A.L.A., the vehicle comes jam-packed with a series of standard technological features: keyless entry with proximity detection, level-2 autonomous driving, blind spot detection, driver fatigue detection, front and rear parking cameras and sensors, and a driving mode selector. Lastly, the colors come in Bianco Quarzo, Arancio Lava, and Nero Ardesia (the first two can be paired with a black roof, by request). Available with a next-generation 3-cylinder 1.2L hybrid powertrain delivering 110 hp (81 kW), featuring 48V technology and an automatic transmission, the new Ypsilon Line redefines urban sporty driving, bringing a compact car with unmistakable DNA to the road. Performance does not disappoint: a 190 km/h top speed and acceleration from 0 to 100 in just 9.3 seconds. Striking the perfect balance between performance and sustainability, it achieves all this with emissions of just 105 g/km of CO₂ in the WLTP cycle.

Ypsilon Rally 4 HF

Inspired by the legendary ‘60s Fulvia Coupé HF, with which it shares its front-wheel-drive configuration, reduced dimensions, and the intense thrills of high-speed driving, the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF was created out of the collaboration between Lancia, the most successful brand in the rally world, and the Stellantis Motorsport team, which boasts 11 victories at Dakar and 27 Constructors’ titles in the World Championship Rally. The vehicle has been further enhanced through prestigious partnerships between Lancia and some of the most famous premium brands in the automotive and racing world, including Marelli, the Italian brand which handled the engine management system; Sparco for the safety roll-bar, the seats, and the steering wheel; TM Tecnologie for the braking system; Speedline for the alloy wheels; and Supersprint for the exhaust system. Furthermore, Sparco will also supply the fireproof technical clothing worn by participants in the 2025 Trofeo Lancia: a personalized line in the new Lancia Corse HF colors developed in collaboration with the Centro Stile Lancia. The heart of the Ypsilon Rally4 HF is a 212-HP, three-cylinder 1.2 Turbo engine paired with a SADEV 5-speed gearbox with a next-generation mechanical limited-slip differential for superior power and traction management. The Ypsilon Rally 4 HF is equipped with 330-mm front ventilated disc brakes in the track configuration, which guarantee powerful braking and allow for aggressive late braking—a must in rallies, especially Italian ones where one constantly encounters climbs and descents. Additionally, the McPherson suspensions with Ohlin three-way, adjustable shock absorbers can be perfectly adjusted to any driving style. Lastly, it’s worth recalling that for the fine-tuning of the Ypsilon Rally4 HF the brand looked to Miki Biasion, a true motorsports legend who, between the 80s and 90s, became inextricably linked to Lancia and went on to become the most successful Italian driver in history. Behind the wheel of the iconic Delta of the Martini Racing team, Biasion won the 1988 and 1989 World Championships, contributing to making Lancia the brand with the highest number of victories in rally history.

Lancia Ypsilon HF Racing

Lancia presents Ypsilon HF Racing, a project designed to make the racing world accessible to a new generation of drivers that doesn’t compromise performance, safety, and construction quality, while maintaining exceptionally low operating costs. At the heart of the project is a 3-cylinder 1.2-liter turbo engine delivering 145 hp and 240 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed manual transmission featuring short gear ratios and a mechanical differential designed to guarantee dynamism and responsiveness. The chassis body—the same one used on the Ypsilon Rally 4 version—is extremely safe given its level of performance and is compliant with FIA regulations. Equipped with a homologated rollbar and safety systems that meet international standards, safety is one of its strong suits. The cockpit, the dashboard, and the suspension design are the same ones used on its racing counterpart, ensuring the driver an authentic and professional experience from first use. To guarantee braking performance in all conditions, it is equipped with 302-mm front brakes, 290-mm rear brakes, and a mechanical handbrake. The entire development process was aimed at creating an agile, high-performance vehicle packed with technical features, but with extremely low operating costs. The Ypsilon HF Racing was established to support the training and refinement of rally driving techniques, serving as a solid starting point for drivers at the beginning of their careers. Created in collaboration with expert rally drivers and subject to rigorous dynamic testing, the vehicle embodies the brand’s core values: dynamism, accessibility, and driving pleasure. With a price of €38,900 (excluding VAT) and a “race-ready” setup, it is aimed at a large and diverse market to help create an inclusive and progressive motorsports culture. The new model can already be ordered at the Stellantis Motorsport Racing Shop, with the first deliveries commencing after summer.

Lancia
With 118 years of history, Lancia represents timeless Italian Elegance, a brand that made people around the globe dream, thanks to its iconic vehicles: the elegant Flaminia and Aurelia B24 Spider, the high-performance Delta, Stratos and 037, the eclectic Fulvia, the Beta HPE and many others.
Lancia embarked on its Renaissance with the launch of the New Lancia Ypsilon and with a 10-year strategic plan that is moving ahead in leaps and bounds.
Innovation and timeless design have always been the founding principles for the brand. And now sustainability, customer centricity and social responsibility have also become essential, because Lancia is determined to look to the future with great commitment and ambition.

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