HF stands for High Fidelity, but why?

[fensaddler]

Why use the term 'High Fidelity' - anyone know why this rather odd term, in retrospect, was applied to Lancia cars?  Is there a reason or a rationale?

[sparehead3]

Dunno "why" but I did go to a sixth form open evening with Claire the other night. On the top of the wall of the Maths room that had all the greek letters ... I pointed out they were all Lancia cars ... she just rolled her eyes at me

[lancialulu]

HF Squadra Corsa was founded in 1963. From that, competition models seem to have been attributed the HF status and logo with the 3 Elephants.

Tim

[LanciAlan]

Surprised more Lancia scholars haven't yet put their hands up on this one ...

afaik "HF" or "Hi Fi", standing for "high fidelity" as you say, signified membership of a slightly exclusive club, as designated by the Lancia Company, for customers who had demonstrated their fidelity to the marque by serially purchasing a certain number of new Lancias (6 I think). I have no idea what the perks of membership were though I think it may have involved hotel concessions and the like. And a keyring I suppose.

I think the HF designation was later re-purposed (or perhaps just re-aligned) with the official Lancia racing team - Squadra Corse HF. I think it was at this stage also that the red elephants were added or associated but I cannot recall why - possibly Hannibal/endurance related?

Later again they started sticking HF as a logo on higher performance variants of production cars to designate their sporting pedigree.

I am sure others can moderate this ...

[johnturner]

Yes, this was a brand allegiance/loyalty scheme dreamt up by Lancia in the 1950s/1960s.  Regular customers got a badge which they could screw onto the radiator and a keyring onto which stars were added for each car bought. See below. Nevil Buckle persuaded Lancia to give him a badge on the basis that he had owned more Lancias than you could shake a stick at, without revealing that he had never paid more than about £15 for any of them.  Quite how this evolved into the umbrella for the competition department I am not sure.

[fay66]

If I remember Correctly, Walkers used to have a very good explanation of the origin on their web site.

Brian
8227

[lancialulu]

Found this on the web:

Let's start with the elephant. Scureia Lancia competed in Giro di Sicily 1952. They used Aurelia Serie 2 with a lowered roof line. One of the drivers - Enrico Anselmi - had used an elephant as a "sign" on his car for some years. He allowed the Lancia team to use "his" elephant. That was the first time the elephant was used on a Lancia competition car.

and this

There are contrasting stories and legends regarding the origin of this elephant, including the simple "the elephant never forgets". We do know that in 1953 the then Managing Director of Lancia, Gianni Lancia, chose it as a good luck token for the Company's first racing appearances. The symbol of the galloping elephant apparently originates in Eastern mythology as an auspicious emblem or symbol of victory, providing the trunk is stretched forward. This is how the elephant chosen by Gianni Lancia was drawn, first in light blue and later as now in bright red.

And this

I always thought it was something to do with Lancia taking part in an Alpine rally back in the day and adopting the Elefantino Rosso symbol in homage to Hannibal taking elephants over the alps in ancient history...

Tim

[fay66]

If I remember Correctly, Walkers used to have a very good explanation of the origin on their web site.

Brian
8227

Got it wrong, it was on John Whalley's site.


The Sales Success   The Delta Integrale History




 
The HF Symbol of Lancia Competition Cars


The HF symbol, the contraction of High Fidelity, owes its origin to the Lancia Hi. Fi. Club, which draws its members from loyal Lancia clients according to strict rules of elegibility which govern membership. The Club was founded in 1960 and the HF was taken as its logo.



The transposition of the Initials H and F on certain sports cars followed in 1961, when customers started to race Flaminia Pinina Farina in Grand Turismo events.



The "consecration" came with the launch of the legendary Fulvia coupe, and it became the official logo of the Company's sports cars, starting with the 1966 Fulvia HF coupe which remained almost unbeatable on the world rallies, until the mythical Stratos appeared on the scene to dominate rallying from 1974 - 1978.



In the mean time the HF Racing Team had been founded in 1963, initially as a simple association of amateur drivers unofficially backed by Lancia, but becoming the official sporting branch of the Company in 1965.



The HF symbol was adopted again in 1983 for the Delta turbo and thereafter on the Delta 4WD and the Integrale. With the introduction of the Evolution model of the Integrale, the letters were combined with the galloping red elephant. The elephants had been on the original badges for the Fulvia HF and the Stratos, at that time there were four elephants displayed.



There are contrasting stories and legends regarding the origin of this elephant, including the simple "the elephant never forgets". We do know that in 1953 the then Managing Director of Lancia, Gianni Lancia, chose it as a good luck token for the Company's first racing appearances. The symbol of the galloping elephant apparently originates in Eastern mythology as an auspicious emblem or symbol of victory, providing the trunk is stretched forward. This is how the elephant chosen by Gianni Lancia was drawn, first in light blue and later as now in bright red.



Brian
8227

[Sliding Pillar]

I had a HF Club badge on both the Aprilia and Aurelia B24. Back in the eighties you received a HF diary every year as part of membership. I haven't put the badge on the B50 however as it spoils the line of the grille.

[peterbaker]

I was told Lancia mechanics painted an elephant on the side of the Mille Miglia cars to take the mickey out of Ferrari and their prancing horse.

[Niels Jonassen]

It may seem odd for an Italian company to choose the English expression Hi Fi. One has to remember that when it was chosen Hi Fi was the new specification for grammophone records giving a much better sound than traditional records. So Hi Fi was an indication of quality and the latest technology while at the same time indicating a high degree of fedility to the make.
Niels Jonassen

[thecolonel]

I always understood it was  Haute Fanalone but then If it doesn't have 70% on the box I
tend not to look further.

[ColinMarr]

Ade,

Good for you for owning an original HF grille badge. As John Turner has posted, they were originally awarded to worthy buyers and owners of Lancias in the 1960’s and beyond. I think Harry Manning had one, for much the same reason that Nevil Buckle did. I believe they all had the holder’s names embossed on them. Could it be that yours was Harry Manning’s.

Colin

[JohnMillham]

I have Geoffrey Robson's Hi. Fi. badge, which came with his Lambda. Picture attached. As you will see, his initials and date of joining are below the "radiator" and there's a red star below that, with enough holes for four more stars. I wonder if all of the stars issued were the same value. Perhaps they issued gold ones for the very special owners. Regards, John

[ncundy]

I've seen gold and white stars - not sure what the significance is?