There is a bevy of cars for sale at any given time that look absolutely deserving of our love. Long-term ownership, gentle patina, West Coast residency – this 1963 Lancia Fulvia has a lot going for it. It has been in the same family ownership for four decades, and benefits from a variety of recent maintenance that shows the current caretakers wanted to do some prep work for sale, a rarity when it comes to selling cars that hover between the border of driver and project. To my eyes, that shows some level of current affection for this Fulvia, despite the fact it’s been posted here on eBay with a $15,000 Buy-It-Now or best offer.
Perhaps after so many years being kept alive by a family that perhaps wasn’t driving it much, it was simply time to admit it was never going to be used as it once was. The Fulvia is an interesting choice for a classic car purchase, as it has some sporting pedigree but it’s also not a go-to vehicle in the Lancia lineup for collectors. It has some unique qualities, including design by Pininfarina, front wheel drive, and an unusual rear-end treatment with the taillights positioned just above the rear bumper. It’s not the most elegant Lancia design, but it is distinctive. The paint appears to have an appropriate patina about it, but hard to tell if this is an older respray.
The interior is wonderful, in my opinion, and I love seeing those functional vent windows – what a treat to have when it’s not quite warm enough to put the windows all the way down. The seats and door panels present like the rest of the car, which is a good thing, as the Lancia wears its age quite honestly. If you wanted to trust a vehicle’s history based solely on its appearance, this is what you’d picture for a car that’s been in the same family for 40 years. Instrumentation is likely provided by Veglia but it appears to have lost its original push-button radio. I believe it had woodgrain trim from the factory, but it has clearly perished here.
The 1963 model year saw the introduction of a new 1.8L boxer engine with twin Solex carburetors. Output was around 92 horsepower or so, so certainly not a powerhouse but decent enough. The seller reports that recent maintenance includes new fuel lines, pump, and a NOS gas tank, along with rebuilt carburetors and brake calipers. Work has also been performed on the electrical system to restore the turn signals, headlights, high beam, and windshield wiper motor. Overall, it sounds like the owners have sufficiently prepared it for sale but clearly there is more work to do; given recent sale prices, I suspect the seller knows $10,000=$12,000 is a more realistic sale price.
Sold already. Don’t look now, but these are gaining popularity. The looks are kinda swanky, the powerplant is just enough, and they’ve been too cheap. I’ve seen two sell pretty quickly recently.