Jean-Pierre Ploué, the firm’s head of design, said: “It is timeless, durable, unique. Our designs will be built with iconic shapes like the circle, square and triangle.”

In an interview with Autocar, Napolitano said Lancia will focus on small, compact and flagship models that will be “in line with a tradition that made Lancias recognisable all over the world for their elegance and modernity”.

He added that upcoming cars will be sold in Italy alongside “four other European countries in the first phase”. These are expected to be the UK, France and Germany. The second phase is likely  to involve a further expansion of sales across Europe. 

The company’s new era will also involve the development of an online sales platform, similar to that offered by its Stellantis siblings. This will be accompanied by 100 sales outlets across the continent. “We want to make Lancia a respected brand within the European premium market,” said Napolitano.

He added: “Today is the beginning of our renaissance that will amaze Lancia fans all over the world. Lancia will once again be a desirable, respected and reliable brand in the European premium market. Today is the beginning of the new Lancia.”

The interiors for the next generation of Lancia’s cars will be created in partnership with Italian design house Cassina and will include the latest infotainment technologies, Lancia confirmed.