At Barn Finds, we’re no strangers to cars from Zagato’s Milan design studio and manufacturing facility. However, only a handful of these classics that have graced our site have been the Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato. The early cars are the rarest and most desirable, and this 1967 example ticks those boxes. It isn’t totally original, but it has avoided the typical rust issues and is a turnkey proposition for its new owner. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Tony P. for spotting the Lancia listed here on Craigslist in Hillsborough, New Jersey. Rarity seldom comes cheaply, with the seller setting their price at $48,000.
Lancia released the Fulvia in 1963, with the Sport joining its two-car range in 1966. As had been the case previously, Lancia handed the design and manufacturing of the distinctive Coupe body to coachbuilders, Zagato. Our featured Zagato is a Series 1b variant, and those with previous experience with Lancia models will welcome the news that Zagato manufactured the body of these early cars from aluminum. The company transitioned to steel in around 1968, making these the most desirable examples. It means that panel rust is not an issue, and a life spent in California means that the underside has avoided the dreaded tin worm. The vehicle is rock-solid, and apart from the distinctive styling, it has a couple of rather quirky design features. The rear hatch in the above image is partly open, and this is intentional. It is typically closed, but Zagato integrated a power mechanism that allows the driver to “crack open” the hatch slightly for improved cabin ventilation. The other is the hood. Most cars have the hinges on the front or back edges, but the hood on the Sport Zagato is side-hinged, as you will see in this article’s final photo. The seller admits that the current paint color isn’t original: the car left the factory wearing Blu Mendoza, but a previous owner performed a color change as part of a cosmetic refresh in the 1990s. It holds an impressive shine, with no cosmetic issues. The original trim is in good condition, and the deal includes a complete set of seals. That is welcome news, because eliminating any future moisture leaks in a timely fashion is one way to help stop rust before it starts. Rounding out the exterior is a set of elegant Cromodora alloy wheels.
The 1990s cosmetic refresh included an interior retrim, and the lack of deterioration indicates a car that has been treated respectfully. The upholstered surfaces are free from wear, and the timber dash fascia looks immaculate. The matching wheel is equally impressive, while the gauges feature clear lenses and crisp markings. Interestingly, Lancia marketed this version of the Sport Zagato as a “2+1,” although rear passenger space is extremely cramped, and wouldn’t be a place that I’d want to spend hours.
Initially released with a 1.2-liter engine, the Series 1b upgrade motivated Lancia to slot its 1.3-liter narrow-angle V4 under the hood of the Sport Zagato. Its official power and torque figures of 86hp and 83 ft/lbs represented a slight gain over the smaller motor, but the performance gains were pretty minor. Power is fed to the front wheels via a four-speed manual transaxle, while the standard four-wheel disc brakes stop the Zagato on a dime. The seller indicates they have recently invested a significant amount of time and effort into this Lancia, ensuring that its servicing is up to date and that any shortcomings have been addressed. The results justified the effort because potential buyers can consider this beauty a turnkey proposition with no issues.
Various sources seem to confirm the seller’s claim that only about 700 examples of the Series 1b Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato were produced. That’s what makes this 1967 Zagato so desirable, and justifies the seller’s asking price. It would be wonderful if it wore its original trim and paint, but the fact that it has been meticulously maintained and avoided the rust issues for which the marque seems to be a byword makes it worth a closer look.
Such a great little car with a great sound. I love how the rear hatch will open just a little for ventilation also.
Harry Metcalfe, the auto journalist, has a YouTube channel “Harry’s Garage” that devoted a big chunk to the restoration of one of these. They are quite the engineering nerd fest. Lots of automotive firsts came from Lancia.
Proof that a car can be an oddball and yet attractive! A narrow angle V4 about the size of a large motorcycle’s engine? You bet! Gorgeous interior too. And the last car I saw that opened the hood like that was a ’50 Buick. I can see why this car is such a desirable collector item, and very likely will command its asking price.
Quite a rare bird. Not wild about that color but que sera sera
nice
Tony P., good eye and great pick, Adam. Very typical of that era European cars and a classy design.
GLWTS
and no body mentions Performance?!?
1969/’71 several 1st anda 2nd (latter @ sebring)
A fav co of mine for looks, lill bit up-scale, performance & innovation.
Altho restoring several 50s/60s Italian (inc lancia) I never had my hands
ona bent4 (SAAB, these, ZAZ, ford or the motorcycles). Seems like one
could enjoya tinker with one of these no matter the make or model of vehicle /application. I once dreamed of 4 Keihin on such an engine (motorcycle style). How bout this one? Individual-runner PWK models? Rod linkage like an Offie triple?
The Sebring cars were 1.6 and very lightweight. I had a beautiful Fulvvia Zagato Competizione triibute, built in Italy with a very fresh 110bhp from a 1.3 on Webers (not the factory Solex).
The fact is that the car was not massively quick. It handled beautifully and looked fantastic, but any regular modern small car could go past it easily on the highway. And because of the looks, many tried!
Having had Nord engined Alfas, the Lancia V4 seems hard work (I had a 1600HF too btw, which didn´t justify the extra spend over a 1.3 in my view). They are relatively expensive for parts and maintenance and very expensive to tune.
The Zagato bit is great fun, however, and a Fulvia is still the cheapest entry point for a proper Zagato build (discounting the Beta Spider). The price is reasonable for an alloy-bodied car with good provenance and there are Lancisti in CA who will know everything about this car.
But what an unfortunate colour change!
Great write up Adam! Now I’m going to need a bigger bucket- and more moolah lol!
My first car was a 1967 Fulvia Sport, aluminum, it was a gem
Awesome looking car. I can appreciate the style and innovation placed on these. That interior pic looks cozy but seeing the steering wheel from the front 3/4 view lends true perspective. I’d look like Tank McNamara in there.
Very cool little car! Would be fun to drive on twisties. But lookes expensive to maintain being a limited production model to begin with.
Don´t crash it! Parts are available for all the mechanical bits, but bodywork is going to need someone who understands the world of Italian coachbuilders in the 1960s. Handbuilt means there are variations between cars from the same run of chassis numbers. The different series are very different, vnot just in detail but also in the shape of panels. It would be diifficult to fit an S2 wing to an S1 car, for example – not impossible but you would need a real craftsman to do it.
Some 700 +/- 1.3/5speed (which should be S2 therefore) Zagatos are fitted with with the S1 shell and known unofficially as S1,5 (these being the best of all worlds). I´ve seen a couple of LHD vars with RHD chassis numbers……
Someone mentioned the Harry Metcalfe series of videos and to this day I don´t understand some of the things they said and did in the learning process!
My ’48 Packard bests this with side opening hood from either side. Release the catches from both sides and you can remove the whole lid. No hinges, but that hood is heavy!
At shows, my 1600HF draws bigger crowds than the newest Lambos and Ferraris. This is a well preserved, fairly-priced example. Find another.
Good looks, innovative and probably a blast to drive (even if not super fast).
Beautiful car. I always thought it was a shame that these are front-wheel drivers.
It´s what the Fulvia does best in fact – great traction and handling.