This is a beautiful UK Supllied Coachbuilt Lancia with a lovely history, finished in Metallic Grey with Tan Leather Interior, she has been restored and comes with recent servicing invoices in the region of £8k from Specialists in the Marque. Purchased from Hexagon Classics in 2019 she is now available and ready for the summer!
Coachbuilder Alfredo Vignale in Turin built 1,601 four-seater convertibles on the Lancia Flavia platform between 1962 and 1967. This car is one of approximately 40 right-hand drive, UK examples and was sold new to the architect Sir Basil Spence (1907-76) in April 1963, priced at £2,350 which was a considerable sum at the time as, for £300, you could have bought a four-seat convertible Citroen DS. Probably Britain's most celebrated post war modern architect - best known for Coventry Cathedral - Scottish born Spence was also a great car enthusiast who bought the Lancia as an appropriate gesture whilst he was working on his design for the British Embassy in Rome. However, difficulties with the Italian planning authorities caused Sir Basil to dispose of the Lancia 'in protest' and replace it with a Jaguar, although exactly when is not clear.
In the car's extensive history file, there is the original Lancia Guarantee in Spence's name (with his Canonbury Place London N1 address) and more recent correspondence with the current Spence family. During Spence's ownership the Flavia, finished in Newmarket Grey, wore his private BS 1066 number plate which was apparently the architects typically patriotic response to General De Gaulle's block on allowing Britain into the EEC.
The Spence country retreat was in the New Forest and the Flavia seems to have stayed in that general area throughout the nineteen seventies and into the eighties. Also in the history file, a number of older MOT Certificates going back to the late seventies appear to back up the recorded mileage of around 52k. The 1500cc, 90bhp, all alloy flat-four engine with its twin Solex carburettors was rebuilta few years years ago by a well-known specialist and the brakes, clutch and wheel bearings have all been replaced within the last two or three thousand miles.
A previous bought the Flavia from a prominent member of the Maserati Owners Club, and impressed by the very good structural condition and the extensive recent mechanical refurbishment not to mention its interesting history, immediately decided that the Lancia deserved to be returned its original hue of Newmarket Grey. A full bare-metal respray was carried out by Custom Motor Bodies of Birmingham to a very high standard during the latter half of 2016 and into 2017. At the same time new front and rear bumpers were fitted and the luggage area retrimmed. The easily retracted and well fitting hood is in excellent condition as is the biscuit leather interior with matching Wilton carpets, handsome wood rimmed steering wheel and original Motorola push button radio.
This little Flavia presents beautifully and must be one of the finest examples of these underrated sixties Lancias currently available. It's a refined and practical four seater with a large boot, thoroughbred road manners, traditional Lancia quality and an exotic presence normally associated with much more highly strung and expensive Italian sports cars. Purchased by the last owner from Hexagon Classics, he has enjoyed the car immensely and shown it many times but the time has come for a new custodian.
