Posts Tagged ‘lancia’

Faded Glory – 1959 Lancia Flaminia Berlina

May 20, 2014

While cheap cars in decay are a pretty cool thing to look at, formerly expensive cars in decay are arguably much more interesting. You expect a cheap, daily use car to eventually move beyond a point of economic viability, while expensive cars are much more likely to soldier on, supported by garage-mates or the budgets of wealthy owners. Seeing a decayed luxury car prompts all kinds of questions… who first owned it? Where has it lived? How did it get to its present state? How can anyone let something that beautiful go to ground? And on that pensive note, check out this 1959 Lancia Flaminia Berlina, for sale for $2500 somewhere in Lake County, CA, just north of the Napa/Sonoma wine country.

1959 Lancia Flaminia Berlina left front

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No Golf – 1983 Lancia Delta 1500

April 25, 2014

In the 1970s, when VW’s Golf opened the floodgates to compact hatches as mainstream family transportation, Fiat decided to jump on board too. Four years after the Golf came out, Fiat debuted the Ritmo, and the following year, the Lancia Delta came out. And it’s no surprise the Delta shared some styling cues with the first-generation Golf, as they were both designed by Giugiaro. Interestingly, the car was recognized for its contemporary styling at its debut, and received the 1980 European Car of the Year award. Many enthusiasts are familiar with the HF Integrale version of the Delta, but it’s worth looking at the car’s roots, since with a bit of hindsight, the basic, unspoilered design is quite appealing. You can find this 1983 Lancia Delta 1500 for sale for €2990 ($4138 today) in Ansouis, France.

1983 Lancia Delta 1500 right rear

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The Last Real…. – 1974 Lancia 2000 Berlina Iniezione

March 28, 2014

Towards the end of the 1960s, Lancia was really on the ropes financially, and their family-size sedan, the Flavia, dated to 1960, which meant its design phase occurred back in the late 1950s. Lancia really needed something to boost interest, and so they decided to heavily revise the Flavia sedan. This included a fully new nose, tail, and updated interior. The result was somewhat bland, if European-looking, and the cost to produce the car was so high Fiat nearly succeeded in killing it once they’d acquired Lancia. Lancia’s managers prevailed, however, for lack of a suitable alternative until the Beta was ready. You can find this end-of-run 1974 Lancia 2000 Berlina iniezione for sale for €3000 ($4100 today) in Cassano-Magnago, Varese, Italy.

1974 Lancia 2000 Berlina left front

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