Celebrating the Art of Italian Coachbuilding
Celebrating the Art of Italian Coachbuilding
The Lancia Lybra I.DE.A design proposal.
The Lancia Lybra I.DE.A design proposal was developed by the Italian design and engineering firm I.DE.A Institute and presented in January 1993. This proposal, fully outfitted in its final form, was submitted as a potential successor to the Lancia Dedra. Created during the early design phase of the future Lybra, the I.DE.A model stood out for its production-ready appearance and adherence to Lancia’s design philosophy, blending technical sophistication with restrained elegance. I.DE.A Institute, known for its collaborations with major automakers throughout the 1980s and 1990s, approached the project with a focus on clear, aerodynamic lines, interior comfort, and a dignified presence appropriate for a compact executive car. The proposal displayed a refined exterior with balanced proportions, featuring a conservative yet modern aesthetic consistent with Lancia’s identity. The interior, though less documented, was reportedly aligned with the brand’s emphasis on high-quality materials and ergonomic layouts. Despite the completeness of the I.DE.A proposal, Lancia ultimately chose to develop the Lybra in-house. The final production design was created by Centro Stile Lancia, under the guidance of Enrico Fumia and later Michael Robinson. Introduced in 1999, the production Lybra retained many of the values seen in the I.DE.A prototype — including comfort, refinement, and restrained elegance — but followed a more conservative and formal design route. The I.DE.A Lybra serves as an example of the extensive design exploration that often takes place behind the scenes in automotive development. It reflects Lancia’s openness during the early 1990s to outside design input, even though the final decision favored internal development. Though never adopted, the I.DE.A proposal remains a fully resolved and documented vision of what the Lybra might have been, offering insight into an alternative styling direction within the context of the brand’s evolving visual language.
I.DE.A Institute – short for Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering – was founded in Turin, Italy in 1978 by Italian entrepreneur Franco Mantegazza together with famed architect Renzo Piano (designer of the Pompidou Centre). Renzo Piano’s structural engineer partner Peter Rice served as Vice President.
