The Lancia Ypsilon continues to surprise, even at the Bologna Motor Show. And to do so, once again it exploits colour, which has always been one of the car's distinctive features.

On the Ypsilon, colour is not just a question of styling, but an integral part of a product philosophy whose main tenets include elegance, glamour, personality, playfulness, irony, panache, styling and numerous possibilities for customisation.

So after the official launch of the Lancia Ypsilon 'b-colore' in Paris, the 29th Bologna Motor Show last week saw the Ypsilon collection extended by the debut of two new Ypsilons, with two new non-metallic colours: powder pink and light blue.

They are two very special nuances that immediately call to mind a 'vintage' world, shades that evoke the cars, the objects, and the musical instruments of the 1960s and early 1970s, a period that has become the target of a cult for both the fashion world and for trendy young people.

But the colour is not the only distinctive element of these two cars; they are also enhanced by coordinated interiors in 'high-tech' fabric that forms a direct link with the clothing of the nautical world.

For example the centre of the seats are pink or light blue and the side strips are black. The facia and panels match these two shades. Both cars on display in Bologna sport the Oro specification, with 16" alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, parking sensors, and radio controls on the steering wheel which, like the gear lever knob, is leather upholstered. The light blue pocket flagship is also equipped with a sophisticated satellite navigation system.

Another 'limited series' Ypsilon was displayed in the refined elegance of the Lancia stand, a Ypsilon 'b-colore' which make a direct reference to the four one-off cars introduced at the Bologna Motor Show last year that were named after natural elements: Fire, Air, Earth and Water. The ancient Greeks believed that everything experienced by our senses is based on a combination of these four elements.
 

This immortal concept inspired Lancia to produce the Ypsilon one-off cars that were the true stars of the Bologna Show last year. After that critical and public acclaim, the 'b-colore' versions were officially presented at the Paris Motor Show before being marketed from October in Italy and later in the other European countries. The car presented at the 2004 Motor Show was graced by an elegant, sophisticated body, all based around non-metallic Paganini Ivory shades below and the exclusive micalised Caravaggio Brown shade at the top. This timeless colour match is subtly mirrored inside the car where the exterior colours are repeated.

The upholstery, directly inspired by the world of sailing, takes the form of a mesh cloth similar to the type used to line oilskins; and a warm fabric that comes in several shades: ivory, black, red and yellow. Proposed in the Argento outfit and equipped with the sparkling 70 bhp 1.3 Multijet engine, the car on show in Bologna features dual-zone climate control, Cruise Control, Bose Hi-Fi, leather-upholstered steering wheel and gear lever knob, radio controls on the steering wheel, rain and dusk sensors, Skydome, parking sensors, radio with CD-MP3 player, 15" alloy wheels and foglights.

Standard equipment also includes ABS complete with EBD, 4 airbags, remote door opening and central locking, Follow me home, a rear seat that folds down completely and slides away, front seats with a memory and height adjustment on the driver's side, 'Dual Drive' electric power steering, a trip computer and height and rake adjustment of the steering wheel.

The Ypsilon range includes another two 'b-colore' versions. The first was 'clothed' with warm, seductive Guttuso Red at the top, including the tailgate, and with sophisticated Paganini Ivory at the bottom. The interior exudes elegance and matches the exterior perfectly.

The second Ypsilon 'b-colore' also featured exclusive magnesium-brown high-tech fabric inside. This match ideally offset the exterior shape that was picked out in Rossini Grey at the bottom and the new Caravaggio Brown shade at the top. The final result was a crisp new colour contrast that is quite simply irresistible.

Photos: Carlo Ombello