Autobianchi Y10

The Autobianchi Y10 made his official debut at the Geneva Show in March 1985  designed to replace the fifteen-year-old A112. It was pipped to the European Car of the Year for 1986 by the Ford Scorpio.

The A112 remained on sale, alongside the Y10, almost to the end of 1986. The Y10 was sold under the Autobianchi marque in Italy, France and Japan,  and in most other market was sold under the Lancia marque.
The Y10's most important innovation in the design is above the cut-off tail, characterized by the tailgate painted in black satin, regardless of the color chosen for the body. The line of the small shell, markedly wedge, it is much aerodynamics (CX 0.31),  thanks to the engine hood markedly inclined to the curved windscreen and also quite tilted, side windows flush with the bodywork, the absence lateral gutter, the recessed door handles and roof tapering slightly toward the tail.

All these features are unique for a small car in 1985, are on the Fiat Style Centre, at that time led by Ing. Vittorio Ghidella. The definition of the project Y10 took more than 3 years of study. It was necessary that this machine had a very specific identity unequivocally to place under the Lancia brand. The appointments were originally entrusted to Pininfarina and Giorgetto Giugiaro at the same Fiat Style Centre. Were executed hundreds of drawings, sketches and scale models started as early as 1980, was eventually selected and developed the design of the Fiat Style Centre that best responded to the theme given to investigate a car destined to a particular user, "select and elite "a real flagship miniature desired by women as much as a handbag and signed by the men as their favorite perfume.

The car had rectangular headlights, which, together with simple and elegant grid, define the development of the engine hood, giving the front an image of the car very "technical", although a little 'sister shared the cheapest Panda, however, totally different to the tail. The windshield, now comes with gasket silicone resin, is large, sloped and characterized by a single brush wipers, functional and practical solution. The side, from the design very clean, is characterized by a belt line from the base of the hood and tends to rise gradually as they approach the tail, lower delimiting the two side lights. Absent, on the surface of the side, any type of rib, also only a profile of embellishment and protection.

The Y10 is offered only with the three-door body, rather large, making it easy to access by car even for rear passengers. The leading role it is, as already mentioned, to the tailgate and a nearly vertical plane, hinged so as to make it more practical as possible access to the luggage compartment, by shifting the point of rotation eleven centimeters towards the center of the roof, allowing an easy opening. The rear lights are left, as the latest A112, horizontal development; bumper shields, wrap shaped, are made of resin

Interior

The interior has carpeting on the floor, standard on all versions, cloth upholstery on the seats and top-range versions featured Alcantara upholstery on the dashboard, seats and door panels, and options such as electric windows, central locking, split rear bench seat, rear window hinged electrically (revolutionary solution at the times), glass sunroof and climate control system with electronic controls and LED display, similar to that already adopted on Fiat Regata.