The truth about Lancia and the Marshall plan.

[PG]

Thank you Neils, i appreciated that.

[Niels Jonassen]

If I understand you correctly it is your opinion that the letter from the American consul in Turin to the embassy in Rome (Amatori p. 85) did not play any important role. Interesting that Adele Lancia supported the Committee for the Liberation of Italy. When I asked him Luigi De Virgilio told me that Gianni Lancia was not a member of the CPI but of the above mentioned committee. If this is correct it means that Gianni Lancia went a step further than his mother who restricted herself to supporting the committee.

[PG]

Well, the letter, if it ever existed, could be a fake. It would not be the first time that documents, specifically built, circulated in Italy. However, it didn't play any important role because Gianni Lancia wasn't in charge in that period. As reported by the Board books he took the CEO role after the death of his uncle only, when the company asked for 2 loans already and during the WWII he wasn't a member of the Board. So this fact, true or not, it wasn't relevant at all for the acceptance by the IMI.

About the CLN, it seems to me difficult that Gianni was a member, a sympathizer for sure, because he hadn't yet the majority so he could not enroll in a political party. By the way the CLN was made up of several parties: PCI, DC (Christian democrats), PLI (Liberal party), PdA (Action party), PSIUP (Socialist party of proletarian unity), DL (Labor democracy). The Republican party and the extremist parties weren't represented in the CLN, but they fight the liberation war besides their comrades. Arranged in October 16th 1943, during the underground activities, the CLN took officially the charge of in pectore Government after the liberation of Rome (06/04/1944). In 1946, before the National elections, the CLN was deprived of authority and shortly after released.

Adele supported the CLN representative committee formed by the workers inside the Lancia factory as many others Turin managers did: prof. Valletta (Fiat), Ing. Bono (SPA), Cav. B.Farina and Comm. G.Farina (Pinin Farina and Stabilimenti Farina) etc. etc. The same managers that some months before had the Fascist party card in their pockets, clearly. After the liberation the CLN charged with fascist collaboration all, but prof.Valletta was accused, convicted and incarcerated only.

[Geoff]

Interesting discussion. One correction tho - Arturo Lancia was not Gianni's uncle, but he was rather a distant cousin. For those of with the new Lancia book by your side, see p. 6. Arturo's grandfather, Giacomo Lancia, was brother of Gianni's grandfather, Giuseppe. That makes them second cousins.

Also Paolo has noted that the dates of the "Turin Consulate's reports to Rome" are in 1951/52, and would not have had an impact on the earlier loans to Lancia. This suggests there is little connection between Gianni's political associations (whatever they were) and Lancia's financial difficulties.