I’m not sure if the car wash is a category on CC but that is where this one was found!
I was driving, or at least sitting, in heavy traffic when I saw a distinctive car shape that is not often seen these days. A Lancia Flavia coupe, the Italian engineering jewel with the flat-four engine, and in fantastic condition.
This car is similar to one owned by a friend, although his was in storage awaiting restoration. Talking to him at the excellent biennial Lancia Rally at Castlemaine last October (where this lineup of Flavia coupe and sedan, and facelifted 2000 Coupe was seen), he has since sold it, but still has his Flavia sedan.
Interestingly, the registration plate here appears to be the original from South Australia rather than Victoria where the car is now. I am not sure why but it seems back then there were a variety of number plate manufacturers, or perhaps you could make your own, and as such there are some creative items out there such as this one with its hand-painted lettering and tailored size to fit the aperture on the boot lid of the Lancia.
Further reading
Curbside Classic: 1967-69 Lancia Flavia Coupe — Rare Classical Artefact
Lancia Flavia: What I Drove Yesterday For 570 Miles Through A Snow Storm
These are just the most beautiful cars…ever. I remember being shocked, though, the first time an owner opened the hood for me on his Flavia that he’d bought to restore. I thought that the engine block was missing and that someone had just left two tiny air cleaners on top of the oil pan. That flat four engine just looked that tiny in the engine bay.
Here’s a picture of a Flavia engine bay, although this one has a big factory intake and air cleaner which help fill up the space.
http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/1084712,14531/1965-Lancia-Flavia-1800_photo.aspx
Sweet Jesus that is a rare sighting! I really, really hope it wS a hand car wash and that this beautiful car did not have to suffer an auto wash!!
Yes it was a hand car wash, the owner may have even been sitting in the on-site cafe keeping an eye on things!
I love that it’s that once-ubiquitous-but-only-on-European-cars combo of pale blue with a tan interior (Detroit and Japan generally paired it with a blue interior), seen on everything from Fiestas to Trabants to…well, this.
Damn that’s a fine looking car .
-Nate
Yow! I’d love to have one of them, or a Fulvia Coupe, or a Flaminia Coupe, or an Aurelia Coupe, or an Appia Coupe…Lancia made some nice looking cars, didn’t they?
Only the coupés are good looking, their sedans look terrible or at best uninspired.
Bring it to my “car wash”, and I’ll happily do it for free, every day……Thanks for sharing a great sighting!
In South Australia govt issue plate were an extra cost to registration and you could make your own, A girl I worked with in Bamera drove a Dodge ute/pickup with the registration written in crayon across the tailgate and bonnet, perfectly legal in the 80s, the plate on that Lancia is a perfect fit and definitely the home made variety.
At first, I thought I had a photo of Lancia Flavia that I took in Munich, but it turned out to be Fulvia Coupé. I think Fulvia looks more athletic than Flavia…
Wow, I just realized a peculiar looking little car in my small town in Connecticut is a Fulvia Coupé. I was following it the other day and could read “Lancia” but could not read the model as it was in cursive script.
It has stock steel wheels, & IMO, some old school mags would’ve really made the whole car ‘pop”!
Sedans do everything very, very well and make lovely companions.
What a fantastic find John. CC Effect; saw a red 2000 yesterday.
Just came across this trawling images on the net, trying to find a replacement door handle for this car. This is my sister’s car, and it’s now on Vic reg. It’s her only car, so it’s a daily driver.
Nice picture from Castlemaine, it’s on again this year, 20-22 October 2017. The cars will be assembled on the Western oval in Castlemaine all day Sunday.