The Fiat Group may have forced Lancia to give up on the art of…making cars, but the Italian company is trying to compensate by mastering the art of…promotion.

The Italian firm’s new flagship model, the Chrysler 300-sourced Thema, is making a special appearance at the 68th Venice International Film Festival, of which Lancia is the main sponsor for the seventh year running.

Lancia has provided the organization with a fleet of Thema saloons that will be used to accompany the numerous celebrities and film stars to the red carpet and around the Lido area.

The new Thema will be shown in final production trim at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month before going on sale across Europe in October. The rear-wheel drive saloon will be offered with a choice of three engines including two 3.0-liter V6 diesels and Chrysler’s 3.5-liter V6 Pentastar V6 petrol.

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