Sacrifice: 1967 Lancia Flavia Coupe
It’s sad to see what was once a cool, interesting and significant car become a donor. The Lancia Flavia, like all pre-FIAT Lancias, was an engineer’s car, designed and built without regards to price, and Lancia lost money on every one sold. To me, this car looks too far gone to be restored, and being parting out is its future. A sad fate for a car designed by a Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Find this 1967 Lancia Flavia for sale on eBay in Book Park, OH for a classified ad price of $6,950.
This Flavia was powered by the 1.8L version of the all-aluminium Lancia boxer four. The engine started life as a carbureted 1.5L that suffered a host of issues ranging from timing chain stretching to cylinder corrosion issues from the aluminum block and heads that were separated by a copper head gasket. The 1.8L addressed some of those concerns and used a version of the Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection system in the place of carbs. Hard to tell how much of the engine is missing, given the way it looks like it was carelessly tossed into the engine room.
I could make the easy joke about a boot and some trash, but I will let you go ahead. I guess you can say that the trunk floor is somewhat sound, given that the payload hasn’t fallen through. The 1.8 Flavia should have a 5 speed trans, so hopefully this is one. Did I mention that the Flavia was front wheel drive? The Flavia was the first series production Italian car to use front wheel drive, reinforcing Lancia’s reputation as a marque run by engineers, where cost was an afterthought (leading to FIAT’s takeover).
You are either very brave or foolish to put this car up on a lift and then walk under it for a picture. Hopefully they used a zoom lens from a safe distance. It’s hard to tell where the surface rust stops and the structural rust begins.
Bonus picture. What do you see here?
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Gianni is Daily Turismo’s Pacific Northwest correspondent. He figures the more commas, the better.
little known fact, the 1989 Elton John hit Sacrifice was originally about his troubled relationship with his own 67 Flavia, ISYN – the record company objected, saying that, statistically, nobody but nobody would understand or care, so Bernie Taupin rejiggered it to be about women or something, whatever, boring – fortunately, the original lyrics were available for a modest sum from a 400 lb Russian 1337 h4x0r named Πовар Mальчик-ар-ди…
It's a human sign
When things go wrong
When the scent of her lingers
And temptation's strong
Into the boundary
Of each Lancia man
Sweet deceit comes calling
And negativity lands
Cold, cold start
Hard done by you
Some things drive better, baby
Just passing through
And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts driving
On two separate roads
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It's no sacrifice at all
Mutual misunderstanding
After the fact
Sensitivity builds a detour
In the final act
We lose direction
No petrol unburned
No tears to damn you
When the tinworm turns
Cold, cold start
Hard done by you
Some things drive better, baby
Just passing through
And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts driving
On two separate roads
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It's no sacrifice at all
No sacrifice at all
No sacrifice at all
No sacrifice at all
No sacrifice at all
(Written by Bernie Taupin, Elton John • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group)
unfortunately, the video is about the revised lyrics, but use your imagination
youtube.com/watch?v=NrLkTZrPZA4
Dang, KBZ! Just dang….. you are good!
Well, Pininfarina may have been a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, but it looks like he needed a minor in Corrosion Studies. As the old joke used to go: The British invented rust. They licensed the process to the Italians. The Japanese copied it.
I actually meant the Lancia engineer at the time, Professor Antonio Fessia. Not sure if Battisa Farina even had a degree.
Ah, my mistake. I searched "who designed the Lancia Flavia" and Pininfarina came up against the Coupe. The full list was: Pietro Castegnero (Berlina), Pininfarina (Coupé), Giovanni Michelotti at Vignale (Convertible), Ercole Spada at Zagato (Sport).
So who was Professor Antonio Fessia? I love to have automotive trivia to drop on my car buddies.
No worries, I could have worded it better.
Antonio Fessia
I think this one needs to be packed up and sent to a dentist with a shed somewhere in the West Midlands of England for him to restore to concours condition in his spare time.
Singlehandedly.
Can you imagine what media blasting would do to this?
Dust in the wind
Or if you acid dipped it, it would just leave an oil slick on top of the vat.
What do I see here? Potential
As in: Electrical potential, between dissimilar metals? I agree.
Flavia, fulvia couldn't Lancia have been a little less confusing? Nevertheless this one looks too good to be true. cars-trade.com/details.php?id=1665