Broken Dreams: Lancia Bertone Kayak. Betrayed by its name?

Sometimes, a project’s destiny is doomed simply by its name: over the years, Lancia, a historic Italian brand traditionally linked to the highest segments of the market, has proposed models with names linked to its noble past. It’s pretty easy to remember the glorious Aurelia, Flaminia, Appia models, not to mention Delta, Gamma, Thesis.
It is therefore difficult to understand why Bertone, still under the guidance of its venerated and refined founder, chose to give the beautiful coupé designed to broaden Lancia’s appeal and its market, the name ‘Kayak’, a small boat that is as spartan as it is uncomfortable, and about as far away from the refined Lancia positioning as it’s possible to get.