Lancia Gamma
Encyclopedia
The Lancia Gamma is an executive car
from Italian
Fiat Auto's
up-scale Lancia
marque. Presented in 1976 at the Geneva Motor Show as Lancia's new flagship, it filled the void in Lancia's lineup left by the demise of the Flavia
. The Gamma was made until 1984 as a 4-door fastback saloon/sedan
(called Berlina) and 2-door coupé
(presented in 1977), both designed by Pininfarina
.
There were 15,272 berlinas and 6,789 coupés built. As with several other cars of the period, the fastback style of the berlina featured a conventional boot at the rear, and was not a hatchback
, despite its appearance. At the car's press launch Pininfarina explained that a hatchback was avoided to save the inconvenience to back seat passengers when luggage is being loaded: "inconvenience" was thought to be a reference to possible draughts.
is the third letter of the Greek alphabet
. Greek letters had been used to denote Lancia models before 1945, and this tradition was revived with the presentation of the front-wheel drive
Lancia Beta
in 1971, the first Lancia to be developed under Fiat supervision. The Gamma can be seen as a continuation, also being FWD
and utilizing some suspension elements from the Beta, so the choice of the following Greek character (Beta is second) appears as logical. The Gamma sports the γ (lower case gamma) sign on several badges both inside and outside.
car with longitudinally-mounted
boxer engines. It was available with either a 5-speed manual transmission or later a 4-speed automatic transmission
. There were effectively two series of the Gamma, though Lancia referred to the change merely as a "face-lift". The main change was that the engines went from carburettors to Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection. At the same time a lot of cosmetic work was done; the cars got a new corporate grille, 15-inch "sunburst" alloy wheels, and a slightly upgraded interior, with new instrumentation and interior lighting, new badging, a new style handbrake and gear lever gaitor. The "FL1"s (as they were known at Lancia) were ready in 1980 and in fact had been on sale in Italy since late 1979; in the United Kingdom
they were not released until late 1980, allegedly in order to allow dealers to shift stocks of the first series which had developed a poor reputation.
Lancia developed unique flat-4
engines for the Gamma (an idea initially was to use a Fiat
V6). Engine designer Di Virgilio also drew up an engine for the Gamma which was a V6 4-cam with either 3- or 4-litre displacement, but this never came to fruition. The Flat four engine finally chosen for the Gamma lacked the cachet afforded to luxury cars in this sector, which generally came with 6 or 8 cylinders. The 4-cylinder engine was unusually large for a modern 4-cylinder petrol engine, though Subaru EJ flat-4 engines matched it in volume and the Porsche 944
and 968
had 3L straight-4 engines. The "4" had certain engineering advantages, but more than anything it allowed Aldo Brovarone
(Pininfarina chief stylist) to design a rakish looking coupé with a low bonnet line and a steeply raked windscreen. When launched at the Geneva show in 1979 there were crowds around the Lancia stand. Pressure cast in alloy with wet cylinder liners, the engine was also extremely light and though it only produced 140 bhp, (120 bhp in 2.0-litre form) in line with traditional Lancia thinking it generated a huge amount of torque, most of which was available at just 2000 rpm.
Initially available with a displacement of 2.5 L (Gamma 2500), it was later joined by a 2.0 L version (Gamma 2000), which resulted from the Italian tax system (cars with engines larger than 2.0 L are subject to heavier tax burden). The displacement was lowered by decreasing the bore rather than the stroke
of the engine. Both displacements were using Weber
carburetors, and the 2.5 L also came in a version fitted with fuel injection
(Gamma 2500 I.E.)
Ironically, it was the engines that caused the Gamma to have a poor name. They overheated far too easily, wore its cams, and leaked oil. The wishbone bushes wore out early, and, because the power steering was driven from the cam-belts, the car was prone to snapping the belts when steering was on full lock — with disastrous results. By the time the FL1 was launched most of these problems had been addressed, but the damage was done, and the car's poor reputation cemented. The whole marque suffered from similar reputation problems; compare with the Lancia Beta
.
Executive car
Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by EuroNCAP, a European organisation founded to test car safety.- History :...
from Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Fiat Auto's
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
up-scale Lancia
Lancia
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. 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. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
marque. Presented in 1976 at the Geneva Motor Show as Lancia's new flagship, it filled the void in Lancia's lineup left by the demise of the Flavia
Lancia Flavia
The Lancia Flavia is a medium sized luxury saloon, launched with a 1500 cc engine at the 1960 Turin Motor Show by Lancia and introduced in major European markets during the next twelve months. Coupe and cabriolet versions developed by Pininfarina quickly followed, together with one or two low...
. The Gamma was made until 1984 as a 4-door fastback saloon/sedan
Fastback
A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
(called Berlina) and 2-door coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
(presented in 1977), both designed by Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
.
There were 15,272 berlinas and 6,789 coupés built. As with several other cars of the period, the fastback style of the berlina featured a conventional boot at the rear, and was not a hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
, despite its appearance. At the car's press launch Pininfarina explained that a hatchback was avoided to save the inconvenience to back seat passengers when luggage is being loaded: "inconvenience" was thought to be a reference to possible draughts.
The name
GammaGamma
Gamma is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 3. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Gimel . Letters that arose from Gamma include the Roman C and G and the Cyrillic letters Ge Г and Ghe Ґ.-Greek:In Ancient Greek, gamma represented a...
is the third letter of the Greek alphabet
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
. Greek letters had been used to denote Lancia models before 1945, and this tradition was revived with the presentation of the front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
Lancia Beta
Lancia Beta
The Lancia Beta is a car produced by Lancia. It was the first new model introduced by Lancia after it had been taken over by Fiat in 1969.-Berlina:...
in 1971, the first Lancia to be developed under Fiat supervision. The Gamma can be seen as a continuation, also being FWD
FWD
FWD may refer to:* Front-wheel drive, a common method of vehicle propulsion.* FWD Campaign from USAID* Free World Dialup , a non-commercial Voice over IP network....
and utilizing some suspension elements from the Beta, so the choice of the following Greek character (Beta is second) appears as logical. The Gamma sports the γ (lower case gamma) sign on several badges both inside and outside.
Engines
The Lancia Gamma was a front-wheel driveFront-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
car with longitudinally-mounted
Longitudinal engine
In automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
boxer engines. It was available with either a 5-speed manual transmission or later a 4-speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. There were effectively two series of the Gamma, though Lancia referred to the change merely as a "face-lift". The main change was that the engines went from carburettors to Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection. At the same time a lot of cosmetic work was done; the cars got a new corporate grille, 15-inch "sunburst" alloy wheels, and a slightly upgraded interior, with new instrumentation and interior lighting, new badging, a new style handbrake and gear lever gaitor. The "FL1"s (as they were known at Lancia) were ready in 1980 and in fact had been on sale in Italy since late 1979; in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
they were not released until late 1980, allegedly in order to allow dealers to shift stocks of the first series which had developed a poor reputation.
Lancia developed unique flat-4
Flat-4
A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...
engines for the Gamma (an idea initially was to use a Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
V6). Engine designer Di Virgilio also drew up an engine for the Gamma which was a V6 4-cam with either 3- or 4-litre displacement, but this never came to fruition. The Flat four engine finally chosen for the Gamma lacked the cachet afforded to luxury cars in this sector, which generally came with 6 or 8 cylinders. The 4-cylinder engine was unusually large for a modern 4-cylinder petrol engine, though Subaru EJ flat-4 engines matched it in volume and the Porsche 944
Porsche 944
The Porsche 944 is a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. It was built on the same platform as the 924, although 924 production continued through 1988. The 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, but major revisions planned for a 944 S3 model were eventually rolled into the 968 instead,...
and 968
Porsche 968
The 968 is a sports car sold by Porsche AG from 1992 to 1995. It took over the entry-level position in Porsche's lineup from the 944, with which it shared about 20% of its parts...
had 3L straight-4 engines. The "4" had certain engineering advantages, but more than anything it allowed Aldo Brovarone
Aldo Brovarone
Aldo Brovarone was chief stylist for Pininfarina and is known to have designed the following cars:-* Peugeot 604 * Lancia Gamma * * * Abarth Monotipo * Porsche S82 Spyder * Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 * Ferrari 365 GTC/4 -References:...
(Pininfarina chief stylist) to design a rakish looking coupé with a low bonnet line and a steeply raked windscreen. When launched at the Geneva show in 1979 there were crowds around the Lancia stand. Pressure cast in alloy with wet cylinder liners, the engine was also extremely light and though it only produced 140 bhp, (120 bhp in 2.0-litre form) in line with traditional Lancia thinking it generated a huge amount of torque, most of which was available at just 2000 rpm.
Initially available with a displacement of 2.5 L (Gamma 2500), it was later joined by a 2.0 L version (Gamma 2000), which resulted from the Italian tax system (cars with engines larger than 2.0 L are subject to heavier tax burden). The displacement was lowered by decreasing the bore rather than the stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
of the engine. Both displacements were using Weber
Weber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
carburetors, and the 2.5 L also came in a version fitted with fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
(Gamma 2500 I.E.)
- 2.0 L carburetorCarburetorA carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
8v SOHC flat-4Flat-4A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...
- 1999 cc, 115 PS (85 kW) - 2.5 L carburetorCarburetorA carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
8v SOHC flat-4Flat-4A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...
- 2484 cc, 140 PS (103 kW) - 2.5 L I.E.Fuel injectionFuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
8v SOHC flat-4Flat-4A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...
- 2484 cc, 140 PS (103 kW)
Ironically, it was the engines that caused the Gamma to have a poor name. They overheated far too easily, wore its cams, and leaked oil. The wishbone bushes wore out early, and, because the power steering was driven from the cam-belts, the car was prone to snapping the belts when steering was on full lock — with disastrous results. By the time the FL1 was launched most of these problems had been addressed, but the damage was done, and the car's poor reputation cemented. The whole marque suffered from similar reputation problems; compare with the Lancia Beta
Lancia Beta
The Lancia Beta is a car produced by Lancia. It was the first new model introduced by Lancia after it had been taken over by Fiat in 1969.-Berlina:...
.
Concepts
Several concepts were developed from the Gamma Platform over the years:http://www.carsfromitaly.net/lancia/concepts_lancia.html- 1977 PininfarinaPininfarinaPininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
Gamma Spider — a targa topTarga topTarga top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....
version of coupé. - 1977 Giugiaro MegagammaLancia MegagammaThe Lancia Megagamma minivan is a concept car designed by Italdesign in 1978 and introduced the same year at the Turin Motor Show. It can be seen as the forerunner of modern MPVs...
— a short-nosed MPV (multi-purpose vehicle)MinivanMinivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
hatchbackHatchbackA Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
-bodied variant. - 1980 Pininfarina Gamma Scala — a saloon, based on the coupé but with a regular notchbackNotchbackNotchback is a styling term describing a car body style, a variation of three-box styling where the third distinct volume or "box" is less pronounced — especially where the rear deck is short or where the rear window is upright...
boot.http://www.carsfromitaly.net/lancia/concepts/gamscala.html - 1981 Saloon — a Berlina-based six-window notchback saloon variant.
- 1982 Pininfarina Gamma Olgiata — a three-door estate, based on the coupé; similar in concept to the Lancia Beta HPELancia BetaThe Lancia Beta is a car produced by Lancia. It was the first new model introduced by Lancia after it had been taken over by Fiat in 1969.-Berlina:...
.http://www.carsfromitaly.net/lancia/concepts/gamolgiata.html
Gallery
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| Lancia Gamma Coupé FL 2500 (1982) front side | Lancia Gamma Coupé FL 2500 (1982) | Lancia Gamma Coupé FL 2500 (1982) rear side |