Lancia is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more luxurious alternative to the models in the Fiat range upon which they are based. One of the firm's trademarks is the use of letters of the Greek alphabet as the names of its models. The firm was also known for persisting with right-hand drive until 1956.

Lancia is famous for many automotive innovations. These include in 1913 the Theta was the first production car in Europe to feature a complete electrical system as standard equipment, the first with a monocoque-type body - the Lambda, produced from 1922 to 1931 which also featured 'Sliding Pillar' independent front suspension that incorporated the spring and hydraulic damper into a single unit (and featured on most production Lancias until the Appia was replaced in 1963). In 1948 saw the first 5 speed gearbox to be fitted to a production car (Series 3 Ardea), the first full-production V6 engine, in the 1950 Aurelia, and earlier experiments with V8 and V12 engine configurations. It was also the first company to produce a V4 engine. Also, Lancia pioneered the use of independent suspension in production cars, in an era where live axles were common practice for both the front and rear axles of a car as well as rear transaxles which were fitted to the Aurelia and Flaminia ranges.