A compact, stylish, capable, Italian coupe, with a 1.3 litre DOHC engine and a great handling chassis sounds like an ideal recipe for many drivers, a great compromise between enjoyment, ability and cost. Lancia offered all of this in the Fulvia Coupe from 1965 to 1976.
The Fulvia Coupe was based on the Fuliva saloon–named after a Roman aristocrat and the husband of Mark Antony–and was powered by a 1216 cc or 1231 cc DOHC V4 engine. It may not sound a lot, and maybe sounds complex, but it gave 80bhp at a time when that was a pretty decent number for a car this size. It was several inches shorter in the wheelbase than the more conventional looking saloon and was styled in house at Lancia, rather than by one of the Italian design houses. Both the Coupe and Berlina (or saloon) gained reputations for engineering excellence and great road manners. In effect, Lancia had a position not too dissimilar to that of BMW currently.
The position of the outboard headlights shows this is a pre 1970 series 1 car; in 1970, the outboard headlights were lifted to meet revised regulations, with a slight negative impact on the “just right as it” factor in its styling. The ultimate version was the Fulvia HF with 1.6 litre 132bhp engine
The Fulvia had a great rally career, winning many rallies in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The HF won the International Championship (precursor to the current WRC) in 1972, followed by a celebration Monte Carlo edition.
I saw this example in south west France last summer, not having seen one on the road for I can’t remember how long. Somehow, the French style yellow lights peering from beneath the tree gave it a real character, like a cat watching you enter its territory. This is clearly a well maintained car, with some minor modifications, principally the additional driving lights and the removal of the bumpers. The format of the number plate shows that the car has been with same owner for several years now. Lucky chap!
One of my favorite shapes ever, I need to own one someday before they really start to be appreciated and become too valuable. And yes, the yellow lights look great on this! Nice find.
Nice I shot one of these recently for the cohort same colour n all.
“A compact, stylish, capable, Italian coupe, with a 1.3 litre DOHC engine and a great handling chassis”
You could also be describing the Fiat 500 in the background, except that it’s only 1.2L (or even smaller in France). They are really. Catching on here in New Orleans, I see them all over. In certain neighborhoods they are now two to a block.
Great catch. These are true gems, and has always had a special place in my infinitely expansive automotive heart.
Very attractive car,I’ve only ever seen a LHD white one at a show.
Always liked these, but when new they were very expensive – you could buy a bigger sportscar with twice the power for similar money. These were among the last true Lancias , before Fiat took control and took the brand downmarket.
Probably the most appealing FWD car from my perspective. This one is really nice; great colour and the yellow lensware is so evocative. Much nicer than the Fulvia Zagato. What I don’t understand is why the saloons were so ugly, particularly after the aesthetic success of the Flaminia.
These sure are swell looking vehicles and I have an unhealthy desire for a lancia Fulvia Saloon.
Why do I love the looks of this little Lancia coupe over every Italian mid engined supercar, save the Miura? Just perfect in every line and detail. Perfect! And what a catch, Roger.
I drove one of these about 12 years ago, trying to work out what car to buy (ohers on the list were a beautiful BMW 2002 & Alfa GTV2000) but I ended up facing reality that a 30+yo European sportscar was not the best choice as an only car… The two Italian cars I felt would have had some surprises in store too I felt.
It was great to drive, obviously not fast but so together and almost telepathic in response. A nice winding road helped!
Maintaining a vintage Lancia is certainly not for amateurs. The impression I’ve gotten is that they’re not so much unreliable as finicky, demanding the care of someone who really knows the cars well.
I would say that Lancia in its heyday was a good deal more technologically ambitious than BMW. BMWs were pretty straightforward in their engineering and it’s hard to see them doing something as complex as the Fulvia’s V-4.
Even in initial 1,216cc form, the Fulvia Coupe was 100 mph car and the 1,298cc Rallye version was at least as quick as a 1.8-liter MGB — quite a trick given that the Fulvia was not an especially dinky or lightweight car. (A 1.3 Rallye weighed about 2,100 lb.)
Wow, I guess I’m totally 180 off here, but this thing is really, truly ugly. Like Fiat 500 ugly.
Beauty or ugliness is in the eye of the beholder.I’m a fan of Edsels,70 Dodge Coronets & Superbees & Ford Zephyr/Zodiac Mk4s.
I’ve never actually seen one, but that never kept me from wanting a Fulvia really, really badly.
I had access to an HF while in college in the UK in ’77. Think the lines are sweet? The SOUND was incredible, like a pack of really-pissed-off hornets. And it handled like GLUE in the corners, with enough oversteer to make a dead man smile.
I passed up on one of these little 1.3l Fulvias for sale for the grand total of £1300. Good, solid daily driver as well.
I am now utterly kicking myself. I’d love to pick one of these up at some point. They’re just perfect.
That’s a series two coupe; the grill gives it away. The raised headlamps were only employed for the UK market; the rest of the world kept the headlamps level and revised the depth of the grill and the chrome trim around it (in addition to the mechanical changes).
Sensational car. Really something else to drive, look at , work on and own . Very reliable! Corners insanely and near impossible to crash!
Zagato is very lovely,
Corners insanely and near impossible to crash!
Then they are in a different class to most cars, reliable and built for touring in an unfussed way, you make excellent time and the car never bitches.
To work on requires a different mental set, not difficult to work on but fiddly in some areas.
The crankshaft on the Fulvia looks like it has come out of a racing motorcycle, beautiful. Then the head is a work of art.
Nobody who has seen a Fulvia Coupe in the street and walked around it could ever say it was ugly.
A fool could say it but it wouldn’t be true.