When it is revealed (the appointment is for the afternoon of February 14th) the new Lancia Ypsilon will confirm - not only with its innovative contents but also with the creation of a special series of 1906 units for Italy dedicated to Cassina - the importance of the relationship between the world of industrial design, architecture and furniture and that of the automobile.
One of the strong points expected from the new Ypsilon will in fact be the debut of an unprecedented philosophy for the design and construction of interiors in which the famous furniture manufacturer founded in Meda in 1927 collaborated.
Photo story The Lancia Cassina combination has many illustrious predecessors - Photos - Ansa.it
Taking inspiration from the Pu-ra Hpe Concept, Ypsilon will provide the driver and passengers with a refined and welcoming environment, just as happens with homes where the furnishings are designed by Cassina.
Furthermore, the name Sala - which does not mean lounge - reiterates this and that Lancia has chosen the acronym Sound Air Light Augmentation to identify the system that allows the internal environment of the Ypsilon to be managed.
By touching a button or with the sound of your voice, Sala centralizes the management of audio, air conditioning and lighting functions.
The contribution of a brand of Italian excellence in the high-end furniture sector like Cassina is not new in the world of 4 wheels.
In fact, it harks back to what happened in the 1990s with the Lancia Thema Poltrona Frau and the 8.32 sports variant.
But also to the fruitful collaboration between Maserati and Ermenegildo Zegna for the interior coverings and for a series of interesting customizations.
Or in more recent times the contribution that the Italian Poliform gave to the Audi style center for the Sphere series concepts.
Broadening the observation to the world of design and fashion, it is impossible not to remember the splendid on-off creations by Gucci, Kartell and Bvlgari presented at the debut of the Fiat Nuova 500e.
Or, again, the transgressive Giulietta Fiorucci (in whose creation none other than Ettore Sottsass and Andrea Branzi participated) and Citroen Berlingo, also created together with the Milanese creative.
Without leafing too far back through the history books of the car - where in the second half of the 1930s we would come across a fantastic Voiture Minimum project by the famous architect Le Corbusier - we must focus on Mario Bellini's Kar-a-sutra concept.
This one-off, which was presented in 1972, 12 years before the Espace, represented the 'manifesto' of a true revolution in the automotive concept.
Based on the platform of a Citroen SM, Kar-a-sutra is perhaps the best example of the fruitful relationship between the great creatives of design and architecture and the world of the automobile.
The traditional principle of the closed bodywork disappeared, in favor of a livable 'space' with large windows.
And even the seats (although not homologable) were made of very soft poufs.
The presentation of Kar-a-sutra - which accompanied the wake of the hippie movement with its transgressive originality - took place at the Moma in New York.
And it was an important catwalk not only for the then 37-year-old architect Bellini (who was responsible for several car concepts for Renault and the interiors of the Lancia Trevi) but also for C&B, then established by Cesare Cassina, of the family that owned the company of the same name, and by the younger Piero Ambrogio Busnelli.
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