Vincenzo Lancia

Vincenzo Lancia was born in the small village of Fobello on 24 August 1881, close to Turin; his family tree starts in Fabello around 1550. He was the youngest of four children (one sister and two brothers), his father being a soup canner who made his money in Argentina before returning to Turin to start his business. From an early age, Vincenzo showed a gift with numbers, and it was intended for him to become a bookkeeper, but developed an interest in machinery and engineering, and was fascinated with the new motor car.

He eventually became an apprentice with Giovanni Battista Ceirano, a bicycle importer in Turin, and he was listed as their bookkeeper in the company's brochure of 1898. He was also developing his skills in engineering, design and construction, and developed patience, perseverance and determination. Soon he could tackle most problems single-handedly.

In February 1899, Lancia was sent to help Count Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia with his Benz. The two men quickly became friends. Biscaretti di Ruffia was to become important in Lancia's later career and was credited with the design of the now familiar Lancia logo (1911).

By 1900, however, Lancia was chief inspector at Fiat, and also a test driver, although only 19. His driving impressed the Fiat bosses, and he was invited to drive their cars in races. His first success was in 1900, in Fiat's second race. Lancia led the first lap of first French Grand Prix at Le Mans with a time of 53 minutes 42 seconds. He was an exceptionally fast driver, often the fastest of all, but often suffered a mechanical failure. In 1906, Vincenzo Lancia won the Gold Cup in Milan driving the Fiat 28-40 HP.