Year1968
BodyVignale
ColorVerde Pino
InteriorRed leather
HoodRed Mohair
EngineLancia 1800 flat four
TimingOverhead valves, central camshaft
Fuel system2 Dell'orto carburetors
TransmissionFront-wheel drive, 4-speed manual gearbox
Horsepower100hp
TransmissionFront-wheel drive, 4-speed mechanical gearbox
Weight950 kg
Price50,000€
Other information
The blessed days of the Aurelia are over, and the beautiful Flaminias, which we insisted on redesigning from scratch when it would have been more economical to upgrade the Aurelia, are struggling to sell in the quantities we expected. Only the small Appias and the trucks are meeting their targets. Between the small Appia and the large Flaminia, there was room for a mid-size car, and the professor set out to produce the best mid-size car possible. He opted for the sophisticated but costly solution of front-wheel drive and a flat engine, as a certain Jean André Grégoire, a brilliant French engineer, had done ten years earlier for his Hotchiss-Grégoire. Equipped with a 1500cc engine, the Flavia's modern yet disconcerting lines were almost symmetrical from front to rear... it was an excellent car that, thanks to its flat engine, didn't vibrate and held the road remarkably well... almost a DS Citroën without its provocative flying saucer look... but the Flavia was expensive to produce and sold for almost the price of a DS, which, despite its outdated engine, had a different look and was undeniably part of the upper class. So Lancia upgraded the engine to 1800cc and 90 real horsepower, soon to be followed by a mechanically injected version that DS owners could only dream of. At the same time, following an established Italian tradition, Lancia supplied mechanical assemblies to the myriad of small independent coachbuilders, more or less manufacturers, who participated in the miracle of the Italian car industry through their creativity and ability to react immediately. Zagato, Vignale, Touring, Viotti, Boano, Ghia, Allemano, Moretti, Iso, Savio, Lombardi and Giannini all flourished. But the front-wheel-drive Flavia did not lend itself well to artisanal transformations, and it was only the bodywork giant Pininfarina that was entrusted with the coupé, while among the smaller carossiers Zagato was in charge of a very sporty version, the Sport, and Vignale of the cabriolet, nicely called convertibile. Alfredo Vignale is recognized as a carossier specializing in luxury with very fine finishes. He recently produced the magnificent 3500GT cabriolet for Maserati. In fact, when viewed from the front, the Flavia cabriolet bears an unmistakable resemblance to the Maserati cabriolet. The rear end, very massive for the 60s, is strongly reminiscent of the sedan, with only the specific taillights attempting to lighten the overall effect. The interior is very meticulous, as is customary with both Lancia and Vignale. It's a convertible with four real seats, a large trunk and a soft top cleverly concealed in its housing. But the difference comes from the platform as well as the engine, its above-standard rigidity, its engine pleasure, the smoothness of its steering, the pleasure of its soft top, the precision of its gearbox, all contribute to make this car like no other... I've had the pleasure of owning two Flavia 1800 coupes in the past, and I remember their safety and sure-footedness in the rain. Once I'd found this beautiful example in the same Breton family from the outset, I decided to have it entirely restored to make it my travel cabriolet. The mechanics were redone and brought up to the specs of the Flavia Sport Zagato with two carbuses for better breathing, It's now in a very attractive metallic pino green, the interior is still red but in full-grain leather, and I should have it back in early 2024, praying that we've managed to find the toolmaker who'll make us the rudge hubs to fit spoke wheels, because that's all it needs...,
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