Lancia Fulvia – Why we love it | Modern Classic Auto Sales

Lancia Fulvia - Why We Love It.

The Lancia Fulvia Coupé is a showroom staple here at Modern Classics. But as the Fulvia, along with the Lancia brand as a whole, was never formally offered in the United States, not everyone is familiar with this affordable, classic Italian sports car. Below, we’ll go through the Fulvia Coupé’s model history and then talk a little about what we think makes the Lancia Fulvia so great.

Fulvia History

The Fulvia was offered in sedan, Coupé, and Sport body styles, the latter a stylish, low-volume reimagination of the Coupé by Italian coachbuilder Zagato.

Series I - 1965 to 1970

While the Fulvia name came onto the market in 1963, the Fulvia Coupé wasn’t introduced until 1965. The Coupé was built on a wheelbase six inches shorter than that of its sedan counterpart. First released was the basic ‘Coupé’ model, which came with a 1,200 cc engine making 80 horsepower.

A lighter, competition-oriented ‘HF’ variant was introduced shortly after and eliminated the standard Coupé’s front and rear bumpers, and added an aluminum hood, doors, and trunk lid, along with plexiglass windows and basic steel wheels. The HF line represented the Fulvia at its best, and is responsible in part for establishing Lancia’s reputation for rallying prowess.

A range of five different Fulvia Coupé ‘Rallye 1.3’ variants were introduced starting in 1967. Earlier Rallye models employed a 1,300 cc engine making between 87 horsepower in the base Rallye 1.3 and 101 horsepower in the Rallye 1.3 HF. Later 1969-1970 Rallye models introduced a 1,600 cc engine and thus became known as Rallye 1.6. Rallye 1.6 models can be identified by their larger inner headlamps and by the triangular shaped holes between their inner headlights and grille. While the standard Rallye 1.6 made 115 horsepower, a rally-spec version was produced in very limited numbers and made 132 horsepower, making it the most powerful Fulvia to be offered.

Series II & III - 1970 to 1976

The Fulvia Coupé was updated in 1970 and received a new, narrower front grille. With the update, the new entry level model became known as the Coupé 1.3 S and now made 90 horsepower from a 1,300 cc engine. A special ‘Montecarlo’ edition Coupé 1.3 S was also introduced to commemorate Lancia’s 1972 Monte Carlo Rally victory. The 1.3 S Montecarlo featured unique exterior and interior elements, including flared wheel arches, rectangular fog lamps, a black hood, deleted bumpers, and bucket seats with headrests.

An upgrade from a four speed found in the series one to a five speed gear box in the series two is the most significant change. Now allowing for higher autostrada cruising speeds.

Other small changes were made. The exterior bumpers were modified and now feature black impact strip and front integrated turn signals, the metal hood spear was deleted, and standard Lancia pattern wheels with much smaller hubcaps replaced the previous steel units. The interior saw a new style ignition switch, revised heating and cooling dashboard controls and ventilation, an enclosed shifter console, and updated signal and wiper switch column stocks.

A Coupé 1600 HF was offered with the larger engine, in this case making 115 horsepower, and wearing unique bodywork that served to further differentiate it from the 1.3 S.

A Fulvia ‘Coupé 3’ was introduced for 1974 and was largely the same as the Coupé 1.3 S sold from 1970-1973, save for a black headlight frame and grille. The Coupé 3 also wore ‘Fulvia 3’ badges. As before, a Montecarlo variant was offered, as was a limited edition Safari model. Like previous special editions, the Safari was a simplified, less-is-more offering, with deleted bumpers, black trim, and among other things, a numbered plaque on the dashboard.

Why We Love It

The Lancia Fulvia Coupé represents driving in its purest form. This a vehicle for someone looking for a quality, yet affordable vintage car as an alternative to the mainstream choices. Dramatically different from performance cars offered by the US automakers during the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Fulvia Coupé offers style and sophistication in a package that is sure to stand out among the crowd. This car is as simple as it is elegant. It is a tour de force in proportions. As this classic, affordable Italian sports care is unlike anything ever offered in the United States, its rarity alone is enough to turn heads and start many a conversation anytime you climb behind the wheel.

Rally Pedigree?

I challenged the Fulvia on a 1,000-mile road trip deep into the Idaho and Montana wilderness. Those unfamiliar with the Lancia brand could easily mistake it for its Italian brothers’ stereotypes. Have you ever heard Fix It Again Tony? (FIAT). Well Lancia prided itself on their engineering, tight tolerances, use of high-quality materials, and simplicity. I wanted to put it to the test.

Some may say driving an Italian classic through the lower continental 48’s largest wilderness is a mistake waiting to happen. Most would question an Italian cars reliability – let alone a 45-year-old car’s reliability. To make matters even worse, I do not consider myself a mechanic. Now, a true mechanic, not a parts replacer, will easily find their way around repairs. All of the Fulvias systems are very straight forward and intuitive. Did I mention that I would be driving in some of the most remote territory in the USA? Armed with a spare tire, some zip ties, and a wheel wrench we set off from Boise, Idaho. The destination was a ranch in Darby, Montana about 400 miles away. Was this a crazy attempt? Maybe. Was it going to be an epic adventure? Absolutely.

The first 171 miles from Boise to Ketchum, Idaho proved to be flawless. The 10.5-gallon fuel tank was more than enough and the couch like seats were surprisingly supportive over the two hour tour. The car seemed to be sipping fuel even at 70 mph.

Stage Two

Idaho’s roads are some of the best kept secrets for driving enthusiasts. The mountain vistas, forests, Sawtooth Mountains, vast prairies, and fun switchbacks mean the roads guarantee a scenic experience, especially, during the spring and fall slack seasons. However, with limited cell phone service you really do feel like you are in the continental United States’ largest wilderness. Thankfully it was smooth sailing in the Fulvia.

Leaving Ketchum, Idaho I headed north for the next 250 miles of open road. The Fulvia was very easy to love. Thanks to the fifth gear it was very comfortable at speeds from 65 – 80 mph. When it comes to the twisties the car suddenly stops feeling like a Cadillac and turns into a pure blooded rally animal. The front wheel drive system is more like a light weight Civic Type-R and much less like a blue-haired Cadidillac from Florida.

What I adore about older performance cars is that you are connected to every single thing that is going on. There is no numbness from the steering. Where you put the wheels is exactly where they go. And the feedback you receive from the disc brakes, direct steering and carborated engine is one of the purest forms of the driving experience. New performance vehicles these days are all about track times. They forget about the experience that puts a smile on your face. And this Fulvia proved that older is often better.