Lancias built before Fiat took ownership of the company are obscure cars with a small but rabid following. When new, they were surprisingly expensive when viewed at face value, however the deeper one looks, the more impressive the cars are. Everywhere there are beautifully engineered details that repeatedly beg the question “how did the accountants ever let them build the cars so well?” This little gizmo is a great example of that. What is it you ask? Well, it goes in the top of the radiator of a Lancia Flaminia and is an actuator for the thermostatically controlled radiator blinds.
When it gets heated by the warming water in the radiator, the spring expands, which in turn actuates the mechanical blinds that cover the radiator when it is cool. Thus, the engine comes up to temperature faster, and in cold temperatures, ensures that the engine runs at precisely the right temperature. The cars are full of these little details, which starts to give an appreciation of why these cars were not exactly cash cows. Fortunately, someone allowed them to be built, and we still have them with us today.
