At the AGM Giovanni di Virgilio mentioned that La Stampa of Turin had published an obituary for Gianni Lancia. Here is a link to this, which includes a photograph, in the edition of 4th June 2014.
http://www.lastampa.it/2014/07/04/edizioni/vercelli/fobello-d-laddio-al-figlio-del-fondatore-della-lancia-OyMdrvIkL0Im85AXWS7lbO/pagina.htmlI have taken the liberty of translating it as follows-
Vercelli 4th July 2014
Fobello bids goodbye to the son of the founder of Lancia.
Gianni, the heir to the car firm, has been buried in the family tomb.
Andrea Zanello
Fobello
Gianni Lancia, who died in Turin at the age of 89 years on 30th June, has been buried in the family mausoleum in the cemetery at Fobello. Next to his father Vincenzo, racing driver and history-making founder of the car firm that bears his name.
The last stage of the journey for Giovanni, known by everyone as Gianni, was this village in Val Matallone: accompanying him a small group of relations, almost on tiptoe in a discreet silence that has characterised the relationship between the family and Fobello. Even the Valsesia Lancia Story Club preferred not to organise any official commemoration.
The link between the Lancia family and Fobello has never been broken: the family tree on show in the museum dedicated to the car firm says that the family has had its origins in the village since 1550. Its most illustrious descendant, Vincenzo, first saw the light indeed in Fobello in 1881 and later moved to Turin. There in the Piedmontese capital in 1924 Gianni was born, second child between his sisters Anna Maria and Eleonora. In 1947 at just 23 years old, after completing an engineering degree at Pisa, Gianni Lancia took the helm of the family car business, staying in charge until 1955 before selling his shares to the family a year later and moving to Brazil where he began a tinned food business.
During his years at the wheel of the car firm however Gianni showed himself to have notable abilities, starting a renewal of the range with the help of the engineer Vittoria Jano. From this collaboration were born innovative cars such as the Lancia Aurelia, which in its B20 GT and B24 Spider versions embodies the elegance and dynamism of the firm, thanks to its V6 engine.
With the B20 also arrived the first prestigious results in competition:; the Squadra Corse Lancia was born, sports racing cars were produced and drivers like Fangio and Ascari were engaged. Then came the leap into Formula 1 in 1954, an experience that Gianni brought to an end when he left the firm. His intuitions however allowed Ferrari to win the world championship itself with Fangio the following year.
