The Demo Site

Lancia Thesis

You'd be forgiven for not knowing much about the Lancia Thesis. Or perhaps mistaking it for something like a SsangYong. The range-topping luxosedan from Fiat's quirky cousin was never sold in North America, and even in the European market has remained something of an anomaly. We had a chance to ride in one on the way to the airport after driving the Alfa MiTo in Italy and were generally impressed, but with its homely, oddball styling and less-reputed badge, it never really stood a chance against class-leaders like the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series or Audi A6. Now, after less than seven years on the market, Fiat is reportedly set to pull the plug.

As it is, the Thesis is only made on demand, which has been relatively ( and understandably) low. Until the introduction of the Maserati Quattroporte in 2004, the Thesis was the largest and most luxurious sedan in the Fiat Group portfolio, but with dismal sales amidst difficult economic times, the Italian auto giant can no longer justify its continued production. Despite having no replacement in the pipeline, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne reportedly announced the model's discontinuation for this past year, but production is now tipped to drag out until the Spring. The Lancia Thesis may have its small cadre of fans, but by and large it's not likely to be especially missed as it rolls towards the sunset. To commemorate its passing, we've assembled the gallery below.

Click above to taste view more of Scrimaglio's Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo wines

We've heard it before: drinking and driving don't mix. We know. And we're not about to condone the combination of the two. But we also can't help but wonder why there seems to be so much crossover between automobiles and alcohol: beer and whiskey logos on race cars, Martini striping on rally cars, champagne sprayed all over victorious drivers, mixed drinks named after sports cars.... You get the picture, and so does Fiat. The Italian auto giant isn't about to miss out on the action, so they've teamed up with Scimaglio vineyards to launch their own line of fine wines.

Scrimaglio is a family vineyard with roots going back over a century in the Nizza Monferrato winemaking region of Italy. Through their "fashion wines" project, they've now launched wines under the Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo labels, including whites, reds and sparking Spumantes. We're still hung over from New Years' Eve, so we won't be tasting them for you just yet. But we like the pretty bottles, which you can check out in the gallery below. Just make sure you have a designated driver before you do.