15.01.2004 LANCIA FULVIA CONCEPT TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT THE BRUSSELS MOTOR SHOW

The Lancia Centro Style built Fulvia concept car has taken pride of place on the Lancia Stand in Brussels, where it has been attracting attention since the show kicked off on Tuesday.

First unveiled to great acclaim at the Frankfurt IAA last September, this 2+2 which aims to work the original Fulvia theme forty years, does so very effective. Based around the Fiat Barchetta's floorpan and mechanical, the new concept capture the style and emotions of the 1960's classic, successfully presenting them in a modern stylish sports coupe, in much the same way that BMW has captured the essence of the original 'Mini' in its current production model.

The cream coloured full working concept prototype sits on a large revolving turntable at the Brussels Expo Centre, flanked on one side by the Ypsilon range, and on the other by the Lybra, Thesis and Phedra.

The dimensions and architecture of the Fulvia Coupé show car are practically the same as the original car (the new model is 1334 mm high, 1665 mm wide, 3925 mm long and with a wheelbase of 2275 mm) but with a broader track to give the car more stability and greater strength: the front measures 1425 mm and the rear measures 1417 mm.

The new Fulvia features a truncated tail, an extremely dynamic shape and a furrowing prow. The most distinctive stylist motif, i.e. a continuous horseshoe-shaped band that enfolded the entire body only to emerge at the tail, was reworked to give the car a more dynamic appearance and a tapering shape. The point of greatest tension lies over the front wheel where all the visual weight of the car is also concentrated to underscore the front drive and engine. The end result is that the entire car appears to be pulled along from this point. The drop-shaped car plan with maximum width at the front and a tendency to taper off toward the truncated tail also contributes to this effect.