At the end of the 1970s, the automotive world was looking for new shapes that would meet the growing demands for space, comfort and suitability for everyday use. In this context, Lancia presented the Megagamma model, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro for Italdesign, at the 1978 Turin Motor Show.
The vehicle is an extraordinary project that radically changes the idea of what a family car can be. The Lancia Megagamma is considered a kind of early van: it combines the compact appearance of a sedan with a tall and spacious body.
The Megagamma is (as its name suggests) mechanically based on the Lancia Gamma. It is powered by a 2,5-litre, 140hp boxer four-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels. Measuring 4,31 metres long, 1,78 metres wide and 1,61 metres high, with a wheelbase of 2,67 metres, it offers a spacious and easily accessible interior. The 25 centimetres higher roof structure compared to the Gamma sedan creates a flat floor plan, a raised seating position and an ergonomic sense of space, designed for maximum comfort and functionality.
The design of the Megagamma also goes against traditional conventions. The five-door body focuses on compact proportions and clean lines that prioritize functionality. The aesthetics are simple, with smooth surfaces and a steeply raked windshield that provides a surprisingly good drag coefficient. At the rear, the vehicle strongly resembles the VW Golf I, also designed by Giugiaro.
Inside, the prototype features several pioneering ideas: a centrally positioned ergonomic dashboard, an electronic maintenance interval management device and an electrically opening glass roof.
The Megagamma doesn't come out of nowhere. Two years earlier, Giugiaro had already experimented with similar concepts in the New York Taxi project for MoMA. At Lancia, he first fully realized this idea, defining the concept of a compact MPV that would later become the model for successful models such as the Nissan Prairie (1982), the Renault Espace (1984), and the Fiat Idea and Lancia Musa.
Despite the great interest of the public and the professional press, Fiat, the owner of Lancia at the time, rejected series production, as the project was considered too risky. The Megagamma thus remained a one-off. Nevertheless, it set a historical benchmark and inspired not only later production vehicles, but also other Italdesign concepts such as the Capsula (1982), the Maserati Buran (2000) and the Proton EMAS (2010).
Today, the Megagamma is considered an early vision of the crossover, which combines functionality, comfort and innovative technology in an exceptional way and is far ahead of its time.