Lancia Fulvia 1.3S, 1976

Chassis No.: 818.631.076991

Engine No.: 129738

Registration: MVS 809P

Sold £12,320 | Sold

The Lancia Fulvia was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 with production running all the way through to 1976. Fulvia’s are notable for their role in motor racing history, including winning the International Rally Championship in 1972. On testing it in 1967, Road and Track summed up the Fulvia as ‘a precision motorcar, an engineering tour de force’. The Fulvia Berlina was designed by Antonio Fessia to replace the Lancia Appia with which it shared almost no components. The Appia was a rear wheel drive car, however, the Fulvia moved to front wheel drive like the Flavia.

The general engineering design of the Fulvia was identical to that of the Flavia with the major exception of the engine, the Flavia having a four cylinder horizontally opposed engine and the Fulvia a 'narrow angle' vee configuration as featured on most production Lancia’s. The Fulvia used a longitudinal engine mounted in front of its transaxle. An independent suspension in front, used wishbones and a single leaf spring, while a solid axle with a panhard rod and leaf springs were used in the rear. Four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes were fitted to first series Fulvia’s.

With the introduction of the second series in 1970, the brakes were uprated with larger Girling calipers all round and a brake servo.

First registered on 1st March 1976, this wonderfully original Fulvia has enjoyed a pampered life in recent years. The vendor purchased the car from his friend, who, like him, has an enviable car collection. Whilst not the most valuable car in either of their collections by some margin, both reported to enjoying driving the little Lancia more than almost any other car. Presented in its original colour of Lancia Blue, the car benefitted from a respray about 15 years ago. The paint has aged well and presents in good order. The cream interior is also clean and shows little signs of wear.

The vendor informs us that the car has never been welded and is solid underneath and also that the car was Ziebart rust proofed from new. Reported to run and drive very well, the car shows good oil pressure and benefits from an electric fuel pump and stainless steel exhaust.

Only lightly used over the past few years, covering around 3000 miles in the vendor’s stewardship and always garaged in both his and his friend’s ownership, the car comes supplied with a V5C registration document, large history file and a workshop manual. A regular at various classic car events, club and race meetings, it is hard to find a car that provides so much enjoyment for the money, even at ten times the price. A true classic of Italian automotive design.

Interested parties should note that the reserve on this vehicle has been lowered and the revised estimate is £10,000-£15,000.

https://www.historics.co.uk/auction/lot/?lot=5672&au=42