UPDATE 1/24/12 – Sold at $23,199 with 26 bids.
By the end of the fifties, the Aurelia was starting to show its age. The Lancia family had sold the company to Carlo Presenti in 1955 and he needed a new flagship model to take the place of the Aurelia. Using the Aurelia chassis with improved suspension, Lancia had a new body designed and stuffed a 2.5 V6 upfront. The Flaminia was born. This particular 1959 Lancia Flaminia GT is currently listed on eBay with bidding at $20,000 and the reserve has been met.
The world’s first V6, taken from the Aurelia, was increased to 2.5 liters for the Flaminia. This increase in displace was enough to create 140 horsepower. The engine in this car turns over, but will probably need a major refreshing. This car is no Ferrari, but with its lightweight body and four speed manual, it should provide plenty of fun Italian driving.
Inside things look grim. Holes in the seats and cracks in the dash be blamed on sun damage and years of neglect. Budget plenty for a whole new interior. A good upholstery shop should be able to redo the seats without much trouble. We just hope the gauges and switchgear are all salvageable.
One thing that makes these cars very special is the fact that the body was by Carrozzeria Touring. It used their Superleggera method of attaching an aluminum skin over a network of small tubes. Many notable cars featured bodies by them including a hand full of Ferraris and the Aston Martin DB4. The only downside now is that restoration can be a little more complicated because aluminum and steel do not always play well together. You will want to inspect this car well before bidding so you know what you are getting into. If the paint would polish up a little, we would be tempted to go through the drivetrain, install a fresh new leather interior, and leave the outside as is.
Interesting car
Pretty car, but somehow Lancias never did anything for me. First series production v6. Marmon made a few in 1905.
These are not only gorgeous cars, they are fabulous drivers. The engines are easy to work and run outstandingly. I had one in the early sixties and really loved it.
JP, before you say that check this out: http://mycarblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/og06lanaur24am53.jpg. Lancia was way ahead of most everybody else in engineering–first V6 for instance.
What a lovely design. Since I can’t afford an Aurelia spyder I guess this would do. Funny where cars end up.
This Lancia would have been one of the top GT cars in late ’50s Europe, below the Ferrari 250 GT and Maserati 3500 but the equal or better than the best of the Alfas. The Ferrari 250 would at least be known to enthusiasts who saw Bob Grossman and others race 250 SWBs or who saw the road tests and feature articles on the cars in R&T and C and D. The Lancia would have been virtually unknown in No America. I saw Ferraris, Maseratis, and Alfas back then, but I never saw a Lancia like this anywhere.
Lancia was always truly a niche brand in the U.S. The Scorpion for example sold here as the Beta, sold as few as 600 per year. They were and are well liked in the U.K. but were always considered pricey. They also were known even there for quality problems. But they do have a rep for beauty, as this one is and for quality of engineering.
JP,Actually, it was the Monte Carlo that was sold here as the Scorpion. They couldn’t use Monte Carlo for obvious reasons.And yes, Lancias had engineering that was well above most others. However, parts can be difficult, if not impossible, to find.
According to most of the Brit car mags I read, They loved Lancias, but some of the them many Fiat products at that time were made with Russian steel and “rusted on the dealer’s forecourts”.
I’m a little ticked that I made an offer on this car and came back two days after this guy bought it… I waited too long to find out it’s real worth. I was really looking forward to getting this car back on the road. I believe he paid $8000 for it. He hasn’t done anything to it and now I can no longer afford it… It sat in a field in CA for 25 years without a single offer and I stirred the wrong pot and missed out.
This Lancia is pre Fiat although Lancia used a lot of Fiat bits and pieces. The V6 engine was updated at least twice and I think ended up as a 2.8 liter with 150 hp in the last cars. The front engine, rear wheel drive Lancias were well known as being very well balanced with the rear transaxles. Superlative engineering in all of them, and even the small V4 Appia sedan was a nice driver, though underpowered and subject to rust. The Lancia line of cars weren’t sold over here, car enthusiasts knew what they were getting and to dealers and bought them. Someday I hope to see one I can afford here in he east. Back then a little Italian car that cost more than a Buick or Caddy had most people shaking their heads. The V6 was a Vittorio Jano design that in it’s final D 24 sports racer development won the Mille Miglia, Pan American Road Race, Targa Florio and Sebring. The V6 is one of the great engines.