Tag Archives: 1961

Lancia

1961 Lancia Flavia

Ahead of its time as usual, Lancia revolutionized the mid-sized sedan game in the early 1960s with the Flavia. A tidy looking sedan with styling that made it hard to tell whether it was coming or going from a distance, this car featured a 1.5 liter horizontally opposed four cylinder engine powering the front wheels. Stopping power was provided by disc brakes at all four corners. Needless to say, this car performed like few cars in its segment. This example for sale in The Netherlands is a two owner car in mostly original condition.

1961 Lancia Flavia

Beautiful original Lancia Flavia of the first order. From Switzerland from the second owner with 73,000 miles. The finish is very good, but not perfect in some places, chrome share very nice! Very detailed accents like Lancia is known for. Beautiful original interior! A rarity in this condition!

At a little over $18,000, this Flavia is priced out of line with what you would normally pay for one of these cars. If this was an Alfa Romeo of similar vintage, you might be able to pull that kind of a figure, but Lancias are more obscure and garner a smaller following. I'd say about $14,000 to $15,000 would be about tops for a Flavia in this condition. While I've never driven one, this little car speaks to me. I view it as kind of a thinking mans Alfa Romeo Giulia. Quirky, but with restrained styling and engineering that doesn't put it far off pace with modern day motors.

-Paul

Lancia

1961 Lancia Flaminia Berlina

The Flaminia was Lancia's flagship throughout the 1960s. Designed by Pininfarina, the Berlina was built in house by Lancia, the last model to be built at the Borgo San Paolo factory. This was a sizeable sedan with presence, so much so that the President of Italy at the time, Giovanni Gronchi, ordered four stretched versions with a landaulet style roof over the rear passenger compartment. While not the Presidenziale version, this Flaminia for sale is equipped with the larger 2.8 V6 and looks rather stately in basic black.

1961 Lancia Flaminia Berlina

Center armrest, rear armrest, front center armrest, radio. Lancia Flaminia Berlina 2.8, three owners with only 86,000 original kilometers. Super clean condition! Body very solid, no rust below ground, perfect. Mechanically 100% and drives like new. Complete interior refurbishment. The original version 2.8 is very rare!

Flaminia Berlinas in good nick can bring upwards of $30,000 these days. The asking price of this car represents great value for a rare Italian classic in mint condition. The Berlinas usually don't bring the higher values that the sportier versions Zagato, Touring and Pininfarina produced, but they are just as special. This particular Berlina is one of the better ones that I've seen on offer. If I was wealthy and needed a discrete sedan in which to waft around town in, I could very well see myself in this car. Unlike a lot of Italian cars that shout about with unconventional styling and bold colors, the Flaminia has a more conservative, but equally stylish presence. But given that this is a Lancia, I'd almost surely want to skip the driver and get behind the wheel myself.

-Paul

Fiat

1961 Fiat 2100

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The 2100 was a short lived model in the large car segment of Fiat’s lineup. Introduced as an evolution of the 1800 series, the 2100 had a larger, 2.1 liter OHV six cylinder engine that produced 82 horsepower. This was a car reflective of the times in postwar Italy, as daily life was returning to normal and consumers, especially those with larger families, sought a vehicle that offered a bit more space than their more compact offerings. Seldom seen here in the US, this 1961 2100 for sale in California is painted in a non-original shade of yellow, somewhat invoking a 3/4ths scale version of a 1957 Chevrolet.

1961 Fiat 2100

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I purchased this neat car about 25 years ago and sold it a few years later. I tracked it down about 15 years ago and was able to buy it back. During that time the original cream color was changed to yellow. It has been part of my fleet of "picture cars " in Los Angeles and has appeared in several commercials and TV series (see www.eurofilmcars.com).

Six cyl OHV engine. 82 b.h.p. 4 speed column shift. Runs and drives OK but will need some tender loving care. Virtually rust free California car apart from some paint bubbling on the lower rear fenders and the trunk lid (see photo). No accident damage and most importantly has all the stainless trim intact. Original interior needs to be re-done completely. One of probably only a handful in the US and much rarer than the base 1800 model. Speedo reads 41,014 miles but this is probably not the correct mileage although the wear on the pedals would not suggest 100,000 miles more (?!). Brake hydraulics were sent to Italy for overhaul. Car has 4 drum brakes. Hub caps are new. Comes with the owner's manual.

So few 2100s exist in this country that it would be hard to place a value on, but given the rarity combined with the complete but somewhat rough condition, this may be a $3,000 to $5,000 car. With an interior refresh and a possible return to the original color, this would certainly be a nice, comfortable cruiser to take on a vintage road rally.

-Paul

Alfa Romeo

1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale must have been an exquisite sight to behold in the 1960s. Designed by Bertone, the SS as it was called resembled Alfa's renowned B.A.T. aerodynamic studies. Powered by a 1.3 liter twin cam four cylinder engine and five speed manual from the 2000 Spider, this coach built coupe was originally targeted towards those seeking a competition coupe, but it proved to be a tad bit heavy for the job, even if the slippery dynamics allowed a top speed of 120 miles per hour. This SS for sale in Connecticut is a recent arrival to these shores and comes with an extensive history.

1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale

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Chassis number AR177276, Engine 10120 - 01477. This car was recently imported to the US with all correct import papers and duties paid. It had been in storage in Italy for about 7 years after being restored as a "nice driver" about 10 years ago. It has a super straight body, no known rust or corrosion, no heavy filler, floors are solid, paint and chrome are decent to good, all the chrome is original. The whole car is very honest, correct and original, including the dash knobs, door panels, carpets, and engine compartment, which even has the original air cleaner that is often missing and very hard to find. It starts and runs beautifully, the gearbox is fine, and the entire brake system is new, including the master cylinder and wheel cylinders, all redone with NOS parts. There are no known mechanical or electrical problems. The odometer reads 2,417 KM, which I assume is 102,417 KM or 63,500 miles. The car comes with it's "Libretto" registration book showing complete ownership history from 1967 to date, and even has it's ASI credentials (the book and badge) which are awarded by the Italian Historic Automobile Club to cars in Italy that they have certified to be correct and original.

Gooding sold a similar 1961 Giulietta Sprint Speciale in Monterey last August for $209,000 - Lot # 28. I've found 3 others that were offered since then between $160,000 and $200,000. Even if they were in a little nicer condition, I feel my car is a bargain in comparison since my reserve is roughly half those amounts.

With radical styling and just under 1,400 produced, the SS was never meant to be a volume seller for Alfa Romeo, but their relative obscurity hasn't kept values from creeping up. Well preserved originals and restored examples can bring anywhere between $150,000 to $200,000. With an older restoration and patina, the seller is probably looking for somewhere in the neighborhood of $125,000.

-Paul