Lancia’s former headquarter building cut quite a dash in Turin’s skyline when it was built, and it’s often been considered the physical representation of the ambition and hubris that ultimately broke the company. But there’s more to this story… — “Il Grattacielo Lancia.” That’s how longtime Turin residents have always referred to the tower that once hosted Lancia’s headquarters. The term is the direct Italian equivalent of “skyscraper,” even though the building’s 16 floors and less than 70 meters of height are unlikely to impress anyone these days.

Everyone loves Alfa Romeos but nobody actually buys one. Yet the latest Tonale compact crossover is out to change that: will it succeed? — I’ll turn forty this year, and I’ve been hearing bold Alfa Romeo revival plans for as long as I’ve been alive. Yet, to put it mildly, success has proven elusive. Arguably, there have been times when it seemed the storied Italian brand was back for good, like between 1998 and…

How an automobile factory building became a beloved icon of the 20th Century — Automobile factories are often impressive, be it for their sheer size or the complex manufacturing processes happening inside them. But few become true architectural landmarks, and possibly none is more iconic than Fiat’s Lingotto in Turin, whose defining feature is a rooftop test track that’s been sparking people’s imagination for…

… And the results are simply mesmerizing. Welcome to the Future. — Image generation models like Open AI’s famous DALL-E are perhaps the hottest topic among artists, designers, and creative people in general. In short, people like me and you. I’ve been on Open AI’s waitlist for a while now, but my patience diminished with each new article I read on the subject, so I had to find an…

The tale of the CEM, Alfa Romeo’s cutting-edge proprietary electronic engine management system: a short-lived Italian engineering triumph. — The history of tailpipe emissions regulations started with the USA’s Clean Air Act, which came into effect in 1966. Although Alfa Romeo’s share of the US market was minuscule, its engineers could nevertheless see the writing on the wall: it was just a matter of time before similar measures would…

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Alfetta saloon, a seminal model in Alfa Romeo’s history, not just because of its commercial success but also because of its sophisticated underpinnings, which served as a base for many more beloved Alfa models for over two decades. — Work on the “116” project started in 1967. Alfa’s engineering team, headed by Orazio Satta, aimed to achieve far superior handling and roadgoing characteristics than the existing Alfa Romeo models.

I believe it’s fair to say that Italy has “owned” design, and car design in particular, more than any other country. Although few would contest the nation’s mastery of the discipline, the reasons behind it, the stuff that made Italian automobile design so special, seem to have rarely been discussed. Until now, at least… — Although harmoniously handsome cars like a classic Lamborghini Miura or a contemporary Ferrari Roma may epitomize Italian car design in the eyes of many, great Italian designs have come in all shapes and sizes, from the voluptuous curves of the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante to the boxy functionalism of Giugiaro’s…

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Fiat X1/9, which was presented in November of 1972 in Sicily, on the same roads of the legendary Targa Florio. Here’s its story… — Contrary to most Fiat models, the X1/9 proved much more popular abroad than it ever was in its native country, with the USA becoming the model’s largest market as soon as exports there started in 1974. …

Produced between 1974 and 1987, the Alfetta GT and GTV not only had the unenviable task of replacing the much-loved “105” Bertone coupés, but they had to do so in a much more challenging world: here’s their story. — With two oil crises during the 70s and a general decline in demand for coupès in the 80s, it’s no wonder the Alfetta-based coupès ultimately sold in significantly smaller quantities than their forebears.