1964 Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato

The most outrageous, and least well known, Lancia Zagato was the 1.8 litre Flavia. Designed by Ercole Spada, Zagato's main man of the era, it possessed some earlier Zagato motifs, such as the windows into the roofline, which harkened back to the Panoramic Fiats of the early fifties. It was streamlined, but Zagato did not work with a wind tunnel. They worked by feel, drew the car up on a full sized board and then started hammering. Once on the road, it was tested with the traditional tuft of cloth method. Prior to the construction of a larger facility in the late 1960s, Zagato worked primarily in aluminium, and the quest for saving weight carried over into the interior and even the paint. Paint was applied sparingly, in two or three very thin coats. The interiors were also thin, particularly the vinyl. The dashboards were hammered out of very thin aluminium, and often not covered with anything but crackle finish paint.

This car came from Milan, Italy where it was part of a 300 strong Italian classic car stable. The car is an older restoration (10+ years) and is in beautiful un-molested condition and in Left hand drive.

The body designed and built by hand in Milan by Zagato is constructed from aluminium. Some Flavias were constructed from aluminium and some steel/aluminium, so this particular model is an extremely desirable classic GT. The body is finished in a deep shade of red and shows very little age and shines up very well. The body itself is very straight and very sharp along the shut lines. The seam along the bottom of the sill is as from the factory (i.e. no careless mechanic lifting the car from the seam) and all bright work is in fantastic condition.

The interior is really something to behold, beautifully presented in a tan leather/ tan carpet combination with a black leather dash with original zagato black crinkle finish on interior components. As with all Zagatos, there are very quirky features that really go above and beyond the standard, such as the electric rear window raising device to allow air to pass through the interior! The dash binnacle is again very quirky with a rather unconventional speedometer. These features are what make these cars so special and desirable today.

The 1800cc 4 cylinder boxer engine is the sport model that features the twin carburettors giving an impressive 104HP. The engine is reported to run well and demonstrate excellent oil pressure throughout all temperatures. The engine bay is presented exceptionally and is a credit to the workmanship of the restorer. The gearbox is a joy to operate and glides into all gears effortlessly with no grinding or clunks. A full condition report is available by marque specialists Terry Keys. Recent work has included a top-end refurbishment and new front suspension components.

With prices of 1960's GT's rocketing at the moment, there is no better time to purchase a very exclusive Italian GT. This Lancia offers great value for money with real world usability.