It has been a warm winter here on the east coast of the United States and with even warmer weather arriving shortly, the thoughts of owning a convertible have been running through my mind once again. An Italian convertible would certainly be a treat, especially one as nice as this restored Lancia Flaminia convertible. Designed and built by Carrozeria Touring, the GT and Convertible had aluminum bodies and a rear mounted transaxle, mated to a 2.5 or 2.8 liter V6 engine. Fewer than 850 were built with production of the convertible halting in 1964.
At a little over $100,000 USD, this type of sports car is for serious collectors. True, this is Ferrari money, but this car is the thinking man's exotic. I've seen a few Flaminia convertibles in rather ragged condition on the market, and even these still command princely sums. This one, for sale in the north of Italy, is in remarkable condition and certainly would be a good investment, as to restore one would take considerable time and efforts in sourcing parts.
Named after Via Flaminia, the road from Rome to Rimini, the Lancia to bear this road's name was the brand's flagship for 13 years. The Berlina, or sedan, version was the only variant not to be built by an independent carrozzeria. With a V6 engine, double wishbone front suspension and rear mounted transaxle, these were very advanced sedans for their day. This was also the last Lancia to be built at the Borgo San Paolo factory. This example for sale is a bit rough around the edges, but with a bit of freshening up and a few fixes, would make for a usable classic and great conversational piece.
1962 Lancia Flaminia Berlina. First off I am selling the car for one of my customers. The car is in good running condition, the chassis is solid and the transmission and brakes are in good order. The body is solid but there is some minor but not insignificant rust in the bottoms of the two right side doors.
The good: All glass is good, trim other than the rear bumper is in good order. The center section of the rear bumper is in need as are the over riders of repair and re-chroming. The bottom of the car is very solid, and dry. The car runs very well and starts easily, and has a silky smooth engine. Driveshaft is in good order with good flex joints no vibration . Solid original battery tray, see the pics... when was the last time you saw that on a Flaminia?
The Bad: The clutch is slipping and will need replacing. Some rust in passenger side door bottoms (see pics)
More good: Interior seats were redone and very nice, headliner is original and in good condition, door panels are also original and in good serviceable condition. Same is true of the floor mats and trunk floor rubber mats which are in good condition. Front wheels are the correct 400 mm rims the rear wheels were modified at some point in the cars history, with 15 inch outer rims adapted to the original inner centers. Hub caps are all nice.
Some more bad: Paint is dead and needs to be stripped and re done. Tachometer not working. Wipers not working. Turn signals come on but do not flash, suspect most of these issues are easily remedied and are a function of the car having sat for some years. The clutch clearly needs replacing, as it slips under acceleration. There is a small area just behind the front most sub-frame mount on the body has some rust in it. Rear bumper center needs straightened and re-chromed.
The better: Includes, original factory Brochure, parts book service manual owners manual. Comes with 2 good spare windshields, and one back glass, spare steering box, misc other parts including and extra good distributor. With the clutch replaced, a set of tires and a major service I believe the car would be a great driver.
Car has a clear Washington State Title. it currently shows 38,038 KM, I can only surmise that is 98,038 KM. Chassis number is 81310 5294 engine number is 81310 5237, and not Lancia's did not have matching engine and chassis numbers. I have every reason to believe this is the original motor. The car is available for local sale and can be removed at any time. If your serious about the car I suggest you call. Not many of these in this kind of condition.
While this car isn't perfect, it has solid bones and make for a good restoration project. Some of the parts needed are included and if one is able to source a good specialist mechanic, this could be a great foreign alternative to your typical American iron at your local classic car show and a shining example of Lancia's engineering foresight.
