Compared with the Thesis, few cars from Lancia had so much time and money invested in them.

A a car of slightly mysterious allure but plenty of technology, it was developed on its own bespoke chassis and the same sort of suspension used in the Maserati Spyder, Granturismo and Quattroporte. It even had radar-guided cruise control - the first Lancia to do so.

Despite the effort and attention lavished on it to make it a true rival for the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class, it was dropped from the price list after eight years with less than 20,000 produced.

We therefore thought it best to find out why, partly because it has never been sold in the UK, partly because it’s a relatively rare sight even in its native Italy, and partly because it looks a little weird.