Shooting at night with my cameraphone is a haphazard affair, but somehow I’ve managed to capture three nocturnal Lancias with some success. These shots aren’t technically correct or proficient, but in their distortion they bring their own flavour to the subject.
First up is a Fulvia Zagato. My memories of the 1970s and 1980s is that these were not uncommon, more evident on Melbourne’s streets than the factory coupe or even the sedan for that matter. The shape never really appealed, but it certainly falls into the mini-exotic classification.
Beta HPE. Again a relatively common sight both in coupe and estate form back in the day. My father was preparing to buy one of these back in 1980s, but by that time they had ceased production and he settled on an Alfasud Sprint instead, which he still owns.
One of my favourite shots. It’s a Flavia Coupe that lives around the corner, with just enough of its rear fender and roofline captured to be recognisable. I’ve seen this often from afar and it has always eluded my attempts to ensnare it for CC, except for this one time. That lovely blue appears to be original. Maybe one day I’ll get close enough…
Nice shots Don. Sometimes it’s the one that don’t work that end up being the ones that DO work on a completely different level, if that makes sense. Just need to add a little Phil Collins music and the mood is completely set.
Love the Fulvia especially, none of them were/are common over here. I’d prefer a coupe, but wouldn’t sneeze at the Zagato either were it offered…
Since you mentioned Fulvia coupe, I saw one in Munich a few years ago.
I’m driving my Lancia at night, so I can, so I can
Speed past all the Fiats on the street sides…
(apologies for the Corey Hart earworm)
Most people have no clue about these cars, think in some way an expensive Italian car and a little odd.
In every way these cars are out of the ordinary.
Best equipment of the day , braking system on some Flavia and Flaminia cost as much as some cars.
So when the car enthusiast sees one it doubtful he has driven one or knows anything of the engineering delights.
After these car the era of what the idiots call Fiat -Lancia, not real Lancia, you have to laugh.
The Stratos, 037 , Monte Carlo, Fulvia3, Delta HF, EVO, ECV and Y10.
Lancia still lead the WRC manufacturers in outright wins despite not racing for over 20 years.
All push the limit of design and performance.
My memories of the 1970s and 1980s is that these were not uncommon, more evident on Melbourne’s streets than the factory coupe or even the sedan for that matter.
Wow, considering that some 100k of the sedan and another some 100k of the coupe were built, and only some 7k Sports (Zagato), you were living in Lancia paradise.
Too right. Such an anomaly, and there is certainly the possibility I’m experiencing some sort of retrospective memory bias. Maybe the factory bodies just blended into the background more. The coupe is a subtle shape, perhaps too subtle for the hardcore Countach fan that I was back then. The sedan… can’t even remember seeing one on the road.
More vintage National Geographic shots from Don, nice!
As to the disproportionate number of Zagato Fulvia coupes running about, it’s real and I think that can be traced back to the Lancia local distributor, WH Lowe of Balwyn. Ferrari was another one of their franchises and I guess they were pursuing a certain synergy in their floor planning for prospects not able to afford the Maranello items.
I understand Lowes were the oldest overseas Ferrari distributor until they folded. The site has recently been redeveloped for high density residential use.
Another factor is it would be easier to ‘justify’ Lancia prices for a coupe, compared with paying big $$$ for a tiny sedan – the same as a very well equipped Holden/Ford.
Then the sedans will disappear more quickly than the coupes, so by the 1980s not many will remain.
As an aside – missed the biennial Lancia Register rally in Castlemaine again! It was on Oct 20-22…
Oh, it was real for sure, and I didn’t much care for them either. Now, I really do, and in reverse of the usual, I’d swap the Renault 10-ish lights for the quad US version. Nearly pulled the trigger about 8 years back, but ironically, the owner was super honest and I realised that even at just $12K, I couldn’t afford what it would soon need. They’re now a great deal more. Story of my (economic) life.
Australia, or maybe just Victoria, seemed to get a real disproportion of quite rare Italian cars. Big Italian/Italian-descended early farmers and then huge post-war population rewarding themselves for hard work, maybe? Also, the climate helped the cars stay bodily unfrilly for longer, whereas in harsher climes, one has the impression of proud owners in 10 year-old cars grimly motoring past on a little more than a holey and breezy subframe with nothing but the unrusted Lancia badge remaining of the coachwork.
I just can’t get enough Beta HPE. One day……..
A lot of buyers couldn’t get enough of their HPE’s, or more accurately, couldn’t keep enough of their HPE as one unit within months of purchase. (Sorry, I just couldn’t resist!)
In truth, I want one too, and ironically enough, I like the early chrome-bumpered and most rust-prone the most.
“Flavorful” photos definitely have a place in the scheme of things, Don; I am reminded of a few we saw recently, taken in raking golden setting-sunlight. Keep ’em coming !
And, I still love Lancias, even after finding that not all of them are front-wheel drive vehicles. . . heh-heh. (Where should I look for a history of the marque that would discuss that issue ?)
Stephen, have a look in the European Brands portal top right of this site. There’s not much on Lancia, but the few pieces on the FWD cars are a good start. Beyond that you’re going to have to dig around the net. Try using Professor Fessia as a keyword; it is he who brought FWD to Lancia.
I know Aaron at AteUpWithMotor is preparing a piece on the Fulvia which will of course fill many gaps in our knowledge, but when he will have it ready I don’t know. Cheers
Thanks, Don. Fessia to start. Maybe someone has written a monograph on the subject ? There used to be car-interest book shops, here and there, but I haven’t seen one lately. Maybe they went the way of so many others, with the advent of Amazon.
I’ve had my eye on Lancia, though it was years before I finally learned the correct pronunciation of the name ! Onward. My Honda mechanic owned a Beta hatchback; when I asked about it he said “Oh, you don’t want to go there.” Why, I never found out. Maybe he judged I wasn’t Lancia material . . . ?