The winds of change are blowing through Turin again, and this time, Lancia is looking to the past as much as the future. The storied Italian marque—long synonymous with rally glory and elegant grand tourers—has named Stefano Solfaroli Camillocci its new Marketing & Communication Director. Reporting directly to brand CEO Luca Napolitano, Camillocci is stepping into a role that could prove pivotal as Lancia seeks to reestablish its relevance in Europe.
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Camillocci is no stranger to Stellantis or its Italian sub-brands. With more than three decades of experience across Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and now Stellantis, he has climbed the corporate ladder through stints in Sales, Aftersales, Marketing, and Network Management. Along the way, he’s managed international teams and guided everything from pan-European aftersales strategies to B2B initiatives in Italy. In short: he knows the business inside and out.
But this isn’t just another corporate appointment—it’s personal. “Lancia is part of my DNA,” Camillocci said. “My first car was a Lancia, and in my professional journey I’ve already had the honor of working for this extraordinary brand. Today, I return home with great enthusiasm, ready to contribute to its renaissance and embrace the many challenges ahead, from the launch of the New Lancia Gamma to the rally adventure.”
That last bit is telling. The mention of “rally adventure” hints at a potential motorsport comeback, something fans of the brand have been clamoring for ever since Lancia faded from the WRC scene in the early ’90s. Combined with the upcoming Gamma—a sleek, all-electric flagship expected to blend retro cues with modern sustainability—Lancia’s revival plan is starting to look less like wishful thinking and more like a strategy.
Camillocci brings the kind of résumé you’d want for such a high-stakes gamble: a Bocconi-trained economist from La Spezia, fluent in the intricacies of European markets, and seasoned enough to balance heritage with the demands of electrification. Away from the boardroom, he’s a husband, father of two, and passionate about cinema—an apt hobby for a man now tasked with writing the next chapter of one of Italy’s most cinematic car brands.
For a marque that has lived on reputation alone for the better part of two decades, the challenge ahead is enormous. But if Camillocci’s mix of experience, passion, and strategic vision is any indicator, Lancia may finally be ready to step back into the spotlight it once dominated.
Some emblems transcend mere design. They become storytelling devices—badges that carry decades of engineering excellence, motorsport grit, and national pride. Few automotive symbols encapsulate this as powerfully as Lancia’s HF badge and its emblematic red elephant. For over 60 years, these icons have stood as declarations of performance and audacity. Now, in 2025, they return—not as nostalgic tokens, but as catalysts for a new era of Lancia performance.
A Roaring Comeback
With the debut of the all-electric 280-hp Ypsilon HF and the rally-bred Ypsilon Rally4 HF, Lancia is rekindling the spirit that once made it the most successful brand in rally history. These vehicles aren’t simply callbacks—they’re forward-facing machines forged in the fire of competition, steeped in heritage but reengineered for modern roads and racetracks.
This renaissance coincides with a particularly fitting anniversary: 60 years since the 1965 Fulvia Coupé premiered at the Geneva Motor Show. A paragon of Italian elegance and engineering, the Fulvia would go on to wear the HF badge a year later, marking the beginning of Lancia’s golden age in motorsport.
Fulvia: The Genesis of HF Glory
The original Fulvia HF wasn’t just a pretty face—it was a rally weapon. Designed by Piero Castagnero with inspiration from Riva motorboats, the coupé featured a compact front-wheel-drive layout, lightweight aluminum panels, and progressively more powerful V4 engines. From the 88-hp 1.2 HF to the legendary 160-hp “Fanalone” with its oversized headlights, each version pushed the performance envelope.
In 1972, the Fulvia HF etched its name into the motorsport hall of fame with a historic victory at the Monte Carlo Rally, toppling more powerful rivals in treacherous snow-covered stages. Wearing a bold Amaranto Montebello paint job with Turin’s blue-and-yellow racing stripe, the car—bearing race number 14—became a national icon. Its success helped catapult Lancia into the global spotlight and led to further dominance in the newly formed World Rally Championship.
HF and the Red Elephant: A Symbolic Legacy
The HF story began in 1960 with the foundation of the “Hi-Fi” club—reserved for the most loyal Lancia customers. By 1963, the HF Squadra Corse racing team was born under the leadership of a young Cesare Fiorio. Their emblem, featuring four red elephants sprinting beneath bold HF lettering, defied the typical associations with the animal’s size. For Fiorio and Lancia, elephants symbolized unstoppable force—graceful only when in full charge.
That symbolism became prophetic. After Fulvia, Lancia unleashed the Stratos HF, the Delta Integrale, and other rally legends, racking up ten WRC Constructors’ titles, victories at the Targa Florio, Carrera Panamericana, and even World Endurance Championships. No other brand matched its blend of technological daring and competition success.
Electrified Heritage: The Ypsilon HF
Fast forward to today, and the HF badge adorns a very different kind of machine: the Ypsilon HF, a fully electric performance hatch that merges heritage with high-tech ambition. Its specs are impressive—280 hp, 0–100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, and a 370-km WLTP range courtesy of a 54-kWh battery. Yet, it’s the driving feel that aims to deliver on the HF promise.
A widened track, lowered suspension, Torsen limited-slip differential, and a chassis 67% stiffer than the base Ypsilon promise real dynamic engagement. Inside, the inspiration continues with laser-cut Econyl seats, a perforated leather steering wheel, and a dual-screen S.A.L.A. infotainment system steeped in HF graphics. The design, echoing Lancia’s “Pu+Ra” philosophy, pays tribute to legends like the Stratos with circular taillights and sculpted surfaces.
Lancia HF Line: Performance for the People
For those seeking spirited driving without the full EV commitment, the new Ypsilon HF Line introduces a 110-hp 1.2-liter hybrid with 48V tech and a 9.3-second 0–100 km/h sprint time. Designed for urban thrill-seekers, it borrows much of its design language from the HF, including 17-inch alloys, bespoke bumpers, and the signature Red Elephant badge.
Back on the Stages: Ypsilon Rally4 HF
In partnership with Stellantis Motorsport, Lancia is returning to its roots with the Ypsilon Rally4 HF—a front-wheel-drive rally car designed to revive the brand’s dominance on special stages. Under the hood lies a 212-hp 1.2L turbocharged engine, mated to a SADEV 5-speed gearbox and a mechanical LSD. McPherson suspension with Öhlins dampers, 330-mm front brakes, and a fireproof cockpit developed with Sparco round out a serious package.
Veteran Miki Biasion, a two-time World Rally Champion with Lancia, was directly involved in fine-tuning the car—adding even more credibility to its mission of reviving Italy’s rally spirit.
Democratizing Motorsport: Ypsilon HF Racing
The Ypsilon HF Racing isn’t just a rally car—it’s an idea. Designed to offer an affordable, FIA-compliant race-ready platform, it’s priced at €38,900 (ex-VAT) and targets young drivers looking to step into competitive motorsports. With 145 hp, robust brakes, a mechanical differential, and lightweight construction, it’s a grassroots tool with genuine pedigree.
A Progressive Classic
The new HF logo is a brilliant visual metaphor for Lancia’s direction: bold and unmistakable, yet cleaned up for modern clarity. It keeps the red elephant, white HF lettering, and black background, but the lines are refined—honoring the past while expressing forward motion. Like the cars themselves, it is what Lancia now calls “Progressive Classic.”
With electrification, design innovation, and motorsport firmly in its DNA, Lancia HF is no longer just a memory. It’s a living legacy, reborn for the modern age. Whether you’re drawn by the visceral performance of the Ypsilon HF, the nostalgic pull of the Fulvia’s red paint and matte-black hood, or the raw ambition of the Rally4 HF, one thing is clear: the Red Elephant runs again—and it’s charging toward the future.
Lancia is officially resurrecting one of the most iconic badges in rallying history: the HF Integrale. The Italian brand has confirmed that high-performance variants of its forthcoming Delta and Gamma models will wear the legendary moniker, a move aimed at reigniting enthusiasm around a marque long celebrated for its motorsport pedigree.
The HF (High Fidelity) badge first roared to life in 1988 with the Delta HF Integrale, a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive hatchback that quickly became a Group A rallying icon. Homologated for competition, the original Integrale packed over 200 horsepower and set the rally stages alight with its razor-sharp handling and ferocious power delivery. Though production ended in 1993 with the swansong Evo II, the legend of the Delta Integrale has only grown, now immortalized among the greatest rally machines ever built.
Fast-forward to today, and Stellantis, Lancia’s parent company, is looking to that legacy to drive a brand revival. Following the lukewarm reception of the new Ypsilon hatchback—including its sporty HF Line and the more aggressive Ypsilon HF Racing—Lancia is shifting gears. This spring, the marque launched both the Ypsilon Rally4 race car and its street-legal sibling, the HF Racing, each adorned with the iconic elephant-emblazoned HF logo. Improved braking, adaptive dampers, and a tuned turbocharged engine mark these as more than just nostalgic branding exercises. Rally legend Miki Biasion, a two-time World Rally Champion, was even brought in to fine-tune their performance.
In tandem with these launches, Lancia announced a broader strategy: HF will become the signature of every high-performance model across its new lineup, starting with the Ypsilon and continuing with the Gamma and Delta—both of which will bear the HF Integrale badge.
Though details remain scarce, reports from Autocar suggest the upcoming Delta may be a performance-oriented twin to the Opel Mokka, built on the Stellantis CMP platform. This platform supports both internal combustion and fully electric powertrains. If the Ypsilon HF is any indication—featuring a 280 hp electric motor with 345 Nm of torque—then the new Delta Integrale may embrace a fully electric future while honoring its rally roots.
The Gamma, by contrast, marks uncharted territory for Lancia performance fans. The original Gamma, produced from 1976 to 1984, was a stately sedan and coupe, never offered in a sporting trim. The reborn Gamma is expected to be a cousin to the DS No8, the luxury flagship from Stellantis’ French premium division, suggesting a focus on high-end performance with an avant-garde twist.
But Lancia’s return to form is not without hurdles. Sales of the new Ypsilon have stumbled—down 72% in May, totaling just 5,627 units. This decline comes amid broader turbulence at Stellantis, which recently installed Antonio Filosa as CEO, replacing Carlos Tavares in a bid to steer the company through choppy waters.
The revival of the Delta Integrale name is both a bold move and a high-stakes gamble. Enthusiasts worldwide still revere the original, and any modern successor will carry the weight of enormous expectations. If Lancia can successfully blend modern performance with authentic heritage, it may yet carve a fresh path forward.
After all, rally legends never truly die—they just wait for the right road to return.
