'Pre-Series' Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato, 1959
Lancia Flaminia
Lancia Flaminia•
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Chassis No.: 824.00.1011
Engine No.: 8262002092
Estimate: €500,000 - €700,000 EUR
- One of a mere 99 produced
- Registration no. 564 YUA
- Engine no. 8262002092
- One of a mere 99 ultra desirable pre-series cars produced
- Fitted with numerous factory competition parts from new at the request of the first owner
Bonhams is the guarantor of the customs duties and taxes clearance: consequently, this motor car cannot be released to the buyer or his transporter immediately after the sale.
Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1957 as the replacement for the Aurelia, the Flaminia incorporated many features from the earlier car including the aluminium V6 engine and the rear mounted transaxle with inboard brakes, but the traditional sliding pillar front suspension, mounted in all Lancias since the Lambda, was replaced by double wishbones and coil springs and four wheel servo assisted disc brakes replaced the drum brakes fitted for the first year of production. In general, the Aurelia's specification was gone over in great detail and wherever possible strengthened for increased reliability and longevity.
In 1959, the Flaminia Saloon and Pininfarina Coupe were joined by sporting two door models from Touring of Milan and Zagato, both on a shorter 2520mm wheelbase. Reduced weight and the shorter wheelbase made these new models much more attractive to the keen driver than the saloon. The Zagato Coupe with its faired in covered headlights and trademark " double bubble " roof, designed by a youthful Ercole Spada (who designed the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato at about the same time) was one of the best looking and most striking Italian GT cars of the day. On request, Zagato would supply the early cars in competition trim, with the newly developed 140 bhp triple Weber carburettor engine.
Zagato Flaminias were built in three series with first 2.5, then 2.8 litre engines and detail changes to the front and rear of the car, including ,sadly, after the first ninety nine cars, modification of the covered headlights which became illegal in Italy. The final Zagato version, the Supersport, produced 150 bhp, running on three bigger 40mm Webers, and was capable of over 210 kph. Chassis # 1011 is a very special car. Delivered new to Italy, it was one of the first Pre - Series ninety nine Zagatos but fitted at the customer's request with a competition tune 2500cc 3C engine with three special Webers, perspex side and rear windows and competition seats.
On acquisition of the car in 2010, Anthony decided to make significant improvements to the performance using only period Flaminia parts and technology. He bought from his friends of many years at Omicron Engineering a complete 2.8 litre Flaminia Supersport engine with the large 40mm carburettors and a Supersport transaxle with the later close ratios and tall final drive. After running the car for a while in this configuration, Anthony had the engine further improved by highly respected Jim Stokes Engineering in England who had rebuilt the Lancia D50 Grand Prix cars for Anthony and Guido Rosani.
The result was most impressive - 180bhp and 191 lbs/foot torque with an almost flat torque curve from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm - the dyno print outs are available.
In his 1961 road test of a Lancia factory experimental 3C 2500cc Flaminia Zagato, Bernard Cahier found that its acceleration times were nearly equal with those of an Aston Martin DB4 and Ferrari 250 GT up to 100 mph and that "......the Lancia's outstanding road handling, plus terrific torque down low, would make these cars work very hard indeed to keep up with it. " And with the bigger and improved 2.8 litre engine and much more power and torque, the performance is even more impressive than it was on the factory experimental car which Bernard Cahier tested. The complete original 2500cc 3C engine and transaxle are included in the sale.
With long distance rallies in mind, an extra 15 litre fuel tank and twin Facit electric fuel pumps have been fitted. In the last 10 years, Anthony and his wife, Anna, have used and enjoyed the car on rallies in Chile and Argentina, Scotland, Italy, France and Switzerland. It has been completely reliable and docile and well mannered to drive. It is the ultimate Flaminia for ordinary road or competition use, capable of remarkable performances.
