Lancia and De Virgilio: At the Center has been published and widely reviewed:
It can be ordered here or on Amazon.
Lancia and De Virgilio: At the Center breaks new ground by examining the history of one of Italy’s great automotive marques through the life of one of its most important figures, designer-engineer Francesco De Virgilio. Lancia’s cars were at the forefront of Italy’s post-war renaissance throughout the 1950s and are highly appreciated today for their sophistication and performance.
Best known as the designer of the world’s first production V6 engine, De Virgilio worked closely with Gianni Lancia, the company head, and Vittorio Jano, to produce the Lancia Aurelia. Considered one of the world’s great cars, it is one of the most technically advanced vehicles of its time. Here are shown its many innovations through original design drawings and sketches. Rare photographs of the Aurelia racing effort, managed by De Virgilio, portray racers and mechanics who were instrumental in Lancia’s notable success against much more powerful cars.
With complete access to De Virgilio’s extensive personal archive and Lancia family information, this is the product of more than six years of meticulous research. De Virgilio’s sketches and prototypes, factory memoranda, patents, and test reports provide an understanding of the company’s inner workings and engineering breakthroughs, many in use today. At Lancia from 1939-1975, De Virgilio’s personal recollections provide a unique perspective on key events in the company history.
His career included work on Lancia’s famous Stratos and Alfa Romeo’s unique Formula One engines. Familiar with Pininfarina, Bertone, and Ferrari, he was widely recognized as one of Italy’s most inventive engineers. He was also a member of the Lancia family, having married to Rita Lancia, a niece of the company’s founder.
Lancia and De Virgilio: At the Center explores the subtle interweaving of a creative man and his work in industry. With a broad reach and many rich details, this is a fresh look at automotive history and design.
10 3/4” x 11 1//2”, 332 pages, 510 images, for $99.95, 65£, 80€
6.2014, rev. 3.2015