Here’s something a little different to start the new year (and decade). I’ve been on holiday in France for the past fortnight, so I’ll be featuring a few European nuggets I found there over the next few weeks. And this is one of the tastier ones.
The scene takes place in a small village in Provence, a couple days before Christmas. I’m out enjoying the crisp air and shopping for this and that, when I suddenly hear an unusually loud engine roar coming down the tree-line street. Oh, that red dot careening this way looks mighty interesting. Smartphone at the ready, I click away.
Unfortunately, I’m not very good at capturing fast-moving targets. And this one was going down the street at quite a clip. I did manage this cropped close-up, which captured just enough information to go online and find out exactly what I had snapped up.
This is the 1.3 litre Fulvia HF of Marie-José Marcellin & Brigitte Ollier (their names are on the car), two ladies who like to do vintage rallying in this region of France. Google images brought up a few good shots, which I won’t include here, of the car in actual rallies. Whoosh, it went past and was gone. Awesomeness witnessed, all too briefly. Fitting end to the 2010s or good omen for the 2020s? Time will tell.
Related posts:
CC Outtake: Lancia Fulvia Coupe – Simple, Brilliant, Scarce, by Roger Carr
Cohort Capsule: Lancia Fulvia – Last Chance To Try Something Really Different, by PN
CC Capsule: 1968-70 Lancia Fulvia and 1990-93 BMW 325i – A Couple Of Rich, Full-Bodied Reds, by William Stopford
Beautiful little car, long near the top of my bucket list of cars, unlikely to be fulfilled anytime soon…Hannu Mikkola (among others) used to campaign one on the rally scene when they were current, nice to see one still being used in that way. It must have been exciting to be on that quiet street and hear it blasting toward you, tres cool!
My brain went wait….. that’s not how you say hakuna matata…..
I guess rally racing isn’t my strong suit in automotive info.
Lucky find! Even it’s heyday, near the beginning of the “fat tires, skinny drivers” era, the HF had slightly wider wheels and tires than this example, which may be running on winter tires and wheels. When remember when I first saw pictures of this car in Road & Track, and then as 1/43 scale die cast, I felt the proportions and detailing were slightly off. But I either grew accustomed to it, or the improved stance (a term we didn’t use then) of the Rallye HF version with its flares and wider tires worked some magic on me, and I soon found them to have tremendous appeal.
The fender flares on this one are not original, which makes the wheels and tires look even smaller.
I suspect the ’20’s will roar in quite different ways to the other lot, less dancing on the tables and more hiding under them, but I’ll take this as an optimistic foretelling of better times. It’s just such a pretty machine, even arched and battered like this, and especially as an earlier lowlight job. That and the racket, sweeter than sugar as standard, and counter-tenor operatic when exuberantly exhausted as this one likely is. No wonder you noticed it.
The main street shots are evocative as could be, and I admire your dexterity. By the time I’d have got my phone out and aimed, they’d have run me over.
Great catch! I’m sure the sound was as stirring as the sight.
Good start to 2020 – you’ve set a standard for us all to aspire to……
Maybe practice for the classic Monte Carlo rallye?
The car does not look to be a fanalone nor a real HF
Fanalone means big boobs in Italian slang, but for the Fulvia the name refers to the big 7″ inner headlights fanalones had, while normal Fulvia’s had 4 pcs 5.3/4″ headlights.
Rally cars were also fitted with pair of Carello Megalux spotlights.
Never a Cibie or a Hella!
I am pretty sure the Fanalones were all 1.6 HF, this appears (as stated) to be a 1.3 HF, they had the same-size lights.
You are right, fanalones were all 1.6 engines.
Works cars wers modified HF Coupes, but had the Rallye name added.
Awesome catch!
Absolutely gorgeous! This is the first on my list for cars for my fantasy garage. I will take it as a good omen for the new year. Thanks!
Now, can anyone tell me what the foremost Silver hatchback in the last photo is? I can’t identify it.
This is a great find! I fell in love with these based on pictures of old rally races several years ago, and finally got my hands on one 4 years or so ago. Such a beautifully simple design, tall greenhouse, excellently engineered, and never fails to draw a small crowd. I ran it with a buddy of mine in a little road rally in 2018, and it’s amazing how well it kept up with much more powerful cars, despite double digit whp and 700 lbs of man and gear!