Lot Ended
Description
Last on the road in 1990 and dry stored since; early pre-Fiat era
Fulvia with lots of potential; ideal basis for a Historic race or rally car; a
nice winter project for someone
First shown in
Berlina saloon form at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show, the Lancia Fulvia is one of
those beautiful little cars that the Italians do so well, being widely praised
both for its looks and its fabulous dynamics.
The
gorgeous Coupe version was introduced in 1965, with sleek, simple styling by
Piero Castagnero on a wheelbase 150mm shorter than the Berlina saloon. Dainty
and chic, it had a wonderfully airy interior, austerely yet elegantly
trimmed.
More than just a pretty face, it also
went extremely well with superb handling and Lancia’s amazingly willing DOHC V4
engine, mounted well forward at a 45-degree angle in front of a transaxle and
driving the front wheels. Initially the displacement was just 1,091cc giving
58bhp but this progressed through various stages of development, the 92bhp
1,298cc engine becoming standard although a highly tuned 132bhp 1.6 HF version
was also available.
Independent front suspension
used wishbones and a single leaf spring, while a beam axle with a panhard rod
and leaf springs was used at the rear. Four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes were fitted
as standard, most unusual for a small car of the time and typical of the fine
engineering that was the hallmark of all Lancias before Fiat took over in 1969 -
things were never quite the same thereafter...
No wonder the Fulvia did so well in competition – right from the
start it became the car to beat in everything from rallying to circuit racing to
hillclimbs to sprints, famously winning the International Rally Championship in
1972. Works Fulvias were used for ten seasons between 1965 and 1974, racking up
countless wins in events as diverse as the Daytona 24 Hours, the Safari Rally
and the Targa Florio.
Testing an early car in
1967, the American magazine Road & Track summed up the Fulvia as "a
precision motorcar, an engineering tour de force." Production finally came to an
end in 1976 by which time around 139,800 had been sold.
First registered in West Sussex in February 1967, this early Series 1
Coupe comes with no paperwork other than a V5C (recording six previous owners)
so we can’t tell you much about it. There is no MOT history online so it has
presumably been off the road for at least 20 years and quite likely since 1990,
if the tax disc in the windscreen is anything to go by.
Someone has clearly started to restore it at some point and it looks
reassuringly straight, solid and largely original. The doors, boot and bonnet
are factory-spec aluminium and in good shape. The engine and gearbox have been
removed but come with the car, the vendor telling us that they are both in good
condition. The speedo shows 58,814 miles so if that is accurate it has only been
lightly used.
On offer here at no reserve as
a straightforward restoration project, this pre-Fiat era Lancia will make a
lovely car for someone and should amply reward the remedial work now
required.
Consigned
by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – [email protected]