Welcome to Thursday Trivia where we offer up a historical automotive trivia question and you try and solve it before seeing the answer after the jump. It’s like a history test, with cars! 

This week’s question: What company offered the first series-production automotive V6, and what year was it introduced?

If you think you know the answer make the jump and see if you’re correct.

In its century-plus existence the internal combustion engine has seen almost every conceivable form and configuration. A few of those have become de facto standards over the decades, the 90° V8 and inline four being notable examples. Another is the 60° V6 which has trumped the inline six as the form of choice for most manufactures owing to its compact dimensions and flexibility in longitudinal or transverse mounting. But who first offered such a mill?

From Legendary Cars:

In 1950 at the Turin Motor Show presents a new model of Lancia – Aurelia. Under the hood of the car hiding in a 6-cylinder engine in the system V the first time used in the production of this type of drive unit. Car was designed by famous Italian designer Vittorio Jano, who previously created an excellent range, sporting Alfa Romeo. Another new feature of providing not only comfort but also excellent road holding, it was the rear axle with lower wishbones diagonal.

For more than 50 years Lancia held the position of being one of Italy’s most innovative auto makers. Prior to the company’s financial collapse in the sixties, and their eventual take-over by Fiat, Lancia drove a number of automotive firsts. Today the company is but a mere shell of its former self, relegated recently to selling re-badged versions of U.S. Chrysler products that even Fiat President Sergio Marchionne has admitted no one wanted. It is now is down to a single model, the Fiat 500-based Ypsilon, which is sold only in Italy. When that model’s run is finished, so too will likely be Lancia.

Image source: Hemmings Blog