I assume she’s checking out that Gamma coupe, although it’s the kind of car more likely to attract the attentions of a male, given its reputation of being a classic “Italian mistress” type of car. This fine example of Pininfarina’s coupe-making was shot by crash71100 in Switzerland. It’s a car we’ve covered before here some years back, but one that’s rather fallen off my radar.
It has some rather unusual aspects under the skin, including a 2.5 L boxer four, very much like a Subaru. Its reputation for a number of frailties is rather un-Subaru like, but it looks better than anything Subaru ever made, except for their SVX.
The Gamma was built from 1976-1984 in two series, with the second beginning in 1980. The coupe model was built from 1977 on, and the wheel design suggests that this a 1977-1979 Gamma Series 1 coupe.
If you want to know the grisly details of what life with a Gamma was like, this post at CC includes a lengthy commentary by a reader in the UK who spills his guts on the subject. It’s not nearly as pretty as looking at one.
Beautiful car, I wonder if there’s a fix to relocate the power steering pump.
This car exemplifies the wonder and the curse of the Italian approach to engineering. Every part must be beautiful, even if it will never be seen, and originality in thinking is valued far above reliability. I sometimes fall victim to this in my own life: I fall in love with a solution to a problem because that solution is both elegant and clever. I fully understand that my idea may turn out to be a disaster, but if it works, people will be in awe of my genius.
My favorite example of this kind of Italian thinking is the BRICO PRAM cigarette lighter. They famously fail quickly and often. It is rare to see one in working order; even rarer to have one where the gong (yes, a gong goes off when the cigarette is fully lit) works, and a new old stock replacement costs $197.
Here’s a brief video of one that actually works.
This is fascinating. I like the artistry that went into this, its unfortunate reliability notwithstanding. Thanks for posting this.
(Beautiful Lancia.)
That is so italian.
Take that : whether if BMW or Mercedes Benz could buy the Lancia trademark and re tooling under their quality`s standards, no wonder any Lancia Gamma or whatever Lancia will be the most beautiful cars in the nowaday`s global list
Lancia is now part of Stellantis (which today means part of Peugeot, as they seem to be the dominant partner, at least technically). Stellantis has committed to re-launch Lancia with two models, a new version of the small Ypsilon in 2024, and in a 2026, a new Lancia Delta. That one will be sold exclusively as an electric car (and will probably share its underpinnings with all the Stellantis cars of the same class – Peugeot, Citroen, Opel, Vauxhall, Fiat, Jeep, Alfa-Romeo …). No German made Lancia, then…
Just a Pininfarina concept car – but what the saloon should have been all along…
So elegant! And that’s a classic Schleicher Ka6 sailplane (glider) in the background.
I’ve never seen that. It’s quite lovely, just as Pininfarina’s concept 4-door Fiat 130 was.
It looks like it’s going 200kph standing still. In the first pic anyway…In a perfect world I think I’d be surrounded by (fully functioning) 70’s and 80’s Lancia metal, alas, it’s far from perfect. Probably for the better in my case. One of the editors at CAR magazine rather turned me on to Lancias of the era over the span of the ’80s (Barker? Buckley? Yes I think it was Buckley) but I can’t fathom how he kept swapping so many around in his own fleet, I suppose it would have been far easier in the UK than the US.
In any case, I think the only two models I’d potentially realistically ever own might be a Fulvia coupe as it’s just so pretty and would seem to be relatively simple and of course a Delta Integrale, never mind that I don’t fit in them. Either would look splendid in my garage. But the chances of having either are miniscule which doesn’t make admiring the pictures of this Gamma any less pleasurable, what a great find.
I only know Buckley from Classic and Sportscar, I think. Man of great taste, and most able defender of the bad taste in old bargemobiles as well. Has or had Fiat 130’s too, close (styling) relative of this Lancia. As for numbers, I believe that England was Lancia’s biggest market outside of Italy, til the Beta saga anyway.
Check out Harry’s Garage on youtube, if you haven’t already. The man is a bit dull, but he has some nice cars, including a Lancia Fulvia Zagato that’s now being restored. (Man, the rust!) As for simplicity, I’m not sure. There’s an engine rebuild vid or two, and gorgeous though the components are – they really do look quite arty – there’s plenty of tricks. That and the fact I think he said a new crank is 3,000 quid!!
Buckley was/is not a CAR man, so you may be thinking of Ronald Barker, or of course, Setright.
Says CAR reader of 46 years’ standing
It gets my stares, the last beautiful Lancia.
I once laid eyes on a private import Gamma coupe. I was underwhelmed by the experience, and this is someone who hold the Fiat 130 Coupe up as one of the greats.