1968 Lancia Fulvia Rallye 1.3 Coupe

The Model

Famous for their incredible craftsmanship, innovative engineering solutions, and complete disregard for cost accounting with respect to those engineering solutions, pre-Fiat Lancias are, in many ways, in a class of their own. Few cars are as thoughtfully engineered or built, which helps to explain why Lancia encountered a great deal of financial troubles. Among the last of the pre-FIAT cars, the Fulvia was a small car with an interesting specification that included a dual overhead cam narrow angle V4 which powered the front wheels. The car was available with a number of bodies in a range of tunes, including this attractive coupe bodywork, which provided excellent visibility, balance, and a surprising amount of space for larger drivers.

History

This particular car is a great driving Rallye 1.3 Coupe in fundamentally sound condition. Added to the current owner’s collection as a fun and usable car for regular use, the car runs and drives quite well, and has plenty of cosmetic patina. Its cosmetics loosely mimic the look of the period competition cars, and the car has an outstanding stance thanks to its Cromodora wheels, low profile tires, and lowered ride height. Additionally, the bumpers have been removed, and the car has an aftermarket shift knob, pedal set, and radio. Its current owner is a collector who has owned the car for a few years, and though there are few service records beyond minor regular maintenance, it is clear that the car had proper mechanical attention in recent years.

Condition

Externally, the car’s paint shows plenty of patina in the form of checking, scuffs, and chips, but the body is quite straight and solid overall. There is an area of corrosion in the front right rocker panel, just behind the right front wheel. The chrome trim is quite good throughout, as is the glass. The Cromodoras are attractive and desirable, and are in nice shape, as are the lights and most trim.

The interior is largely original, and is quite nice considering this. There are a few splits in the driver’s seat, and the car has a lovely aftermarket wood steering wheel. The dashboard and instruments are in good shape as are the the rubber mats, other than on the floor under the driver’s feet.

The engine compartment and trunk are both nice, being solid and generally unmolested, if somewhat dirty. The undercarriage reveals that the car fundamentally sound, though there are two areas displaying deterioration. The floor under the driver’s feet is showing corrosion, and there is another area just inboard of the left rear rocker (ahead of the left rear wheel) that should also be replaced. Other than that, the car is structurally very sound. The remainder of the floor is excellent, as is the body.

This is a fine opportunity to acquire a stylish and fundamentally sound Lancia at an affordable price. There are few more unique or enjoyable cars for the money, and this car’s patina ensures that it can be enjoyed with a clear conscience. It is an excellent car to enjoy as is and continuously improve, or it also represents an extremely sound example to use as a basis for a complete restoration.