“At the occasion of the debute of the movie Race for Glory in the major Italian theaters, I am delighted to unveil the new HF logo, which will make its debut on the New Lancia Ypsilon HF, before being used on the future high-performance versions of the brand. After the presentation of the New Lancia Ypsilon, the first car of the brand new era, today we take another step ahead in the path to Renaissance, to emphasize the brand most brutal and radical soul and its commitment to focusing on performance models.” stated Luca Napolitano, Lancia brand CEO. And he adds, ‘Will we return to the Rally? We are working on it.'”
New HF logo and Lancia Ypsilon HF
Lancia Centro Stile has reinterpreted the HF original logo, making it contemporary. In particular, the colors of the HF logo, white, red, and black, have been reused, without adding graphic elements, but simplifying them and making them purer, while respecting the unmistakable geometries of the Lancia brand. The colors are those of the official logo of the 1966 Fulvia Coupè, while the inclination of the letters is that of the logo of the Lancia Delta from the 1990s to express speed and radicality. The new HF logo is Progressive Classic because, in a perfect balance between past and future, all the distinctive elements of the historic brand, composed of the little elephant and the acronym, are now reinterpreted to be projected into the future. The constituent elements of the brand are symbols of Lancia heritage that are now simplified, both in terms of lines and shapes, creating a new balance capable of expressing innovation, premiumness, and Italianity with a touch of eclecticism.
The refined craftsmanship of the logo benefits today from the technological advancements made over the years. The Lancia Ypsilon HF will have a lowered suspension, widened track, will be 100% electric with a 240 horsepower engine, and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.8 seconds.
HF logo and Squadra Corse Lancia
HF logo was introduced for the first time in 1960, at the Geneva Motor Show, when a group of passionate Lancia car owners founded the “Lancia Hi-Fi” club (Hi-Fi stands for High-Fidelity), reserved for those who have purchased at least six brand new Lancia cars. The initials HF first appeared on some Lancia sports models, such as the Flaminia Pinin Farina Coupé, the Flaminia Sport Zagato, and the Flavia Coupé.
A few years later, in February 1963, together with some drivers and passionate Lancia car owners, Cesare Fiorio founded the HF Lancia Racing Team. The logo chosen for the Racing Team consists of the uppercase letters HF, white on a black background, with four red elephants running as mascots and the uppercase inscription SQUADRA CORSE, white on a red background, below.
The legendary Fulvia Coupé HF of ’66 was the first to showcase it, remembered for its countless rally victories, followed by the unbeatable Stratos HF from 1974 to 1978, the Delta Turbo in 1983, and finally the Delta 4WD, Delta Integrale, and Delta HF Integrale Evolution.
Numerous were the successes of Lancia HF cars since the birth of the HF Lancia Racing Team. In 1972, the Fulvia HF won the International Constructors’ Championship, which became the World Rally Championship from the following year; a competition that saw the same Fulvia HF and the Stratos HF triumph in 1974 and the Stratos HF in the biennium 1976-1977, culminating in the six consecutive titles won between 1987 and 1992 by the iconic Delta HF with all-wheel drive, a model capable of excelling in various versions, 4WD, 8v, 16v, and Evolution.
The origin of the little elephant symbol, between legend and reality
Between legend and reality, it is said that already in 1953 the little elephant was chosen as a lucky charm by Gianni, son of Vincenzo Lancia and CEO of the car manufacturer from 1949 to 1955. The meaning would be attributed to the idea that, once launched into a race, elephants are unstoppable. The symbol of the galloping pachyderm, initially depicted in blue and then in red, seems to come from Eastern mythology, as a symbol of good luck and victory, as long as it is represented with the trunk extended forward.
