Many claim that “Lancia is the most Italian car.” With its fine lines, bold technology and diversity, the Lancia Fulvia appears quintessentially Italian.
Model history
The Lancia Fulvia was produced in two series – the first from 1963 to the summer of 1969, when it was replaced by the Series II until 1976. All variants had V4 engines with front-wheel drive. The engine is placed far forward and leans over to the left. The V-angle is very small so that it takes up very little space in the engine compartment. Disc brakes were standard front and rear – and the body was made of aluminum. This contributed to Lancia eventually having financial problems. Therefore, the Fulvia Series II had its body made of steel. Some clever details also disappeared to save costs. The Series II cars were upgraded with a 5-speed gearbox, vacuum booster for the brakes, Girling calipers and upgraded suspension. The new cars had their wheelbase increased by 2 cm and 2 cm higher ground clearance. Exterior changes include a new grille and new taillights.
Fulvia Berlina
Fulvia Coupé
The Fulvia models Coupe and Sport are good representatives of classic Italian car builders - special, light, fast and beautiful - and they sound good.
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The coupé model with 2 doors looks completely different from the Fulvia Berlina 4-door sedan. They had a shorter wheelbase and shared no body parts, while the front-wheel drive drivetrain was the same. The engine installation is quite special. All engines are small angle V4. The engines are placed in a long position with an inclination of 45 degrees. See the picture of the engine compartment of the Sport Zagato below.
Before Fiat took over
The Lancia Fulvia Coupé was made in two series. The first series extends from 1965 up to and including the 1969 model when Fiat took over Lancia. At the time of launch, the cars had an engine of 1,2 litres. From 1967-1968 you could get a 1,3 liter engine with 86 HP with a top speed of 168 km/h. From 1968, the 1,3 S came with 92 HP and a top speed of 173 km/h. The model had an upgraded carburettor, oil cooler and vacuum amplifier for the brakes. The gearbox was otherwise the same as in the standard 1,3.
Visual changes to the 1,3 and 1,3 S were – apart from the logo on the back plate – the speedometer which now showed 200 km/h instead of 180. Otherwise, there were no other changes either to the interior or exterior. The models still had a long gear lever as on the 1,2 liter version – the one that came in 1965 and was actually sold right up until 1969.
Was it too expensive for Lancia?
Fulvia was, like previous models, expensive to produce with new, advanced V4 engines, a lot of aluminum in the body and front, many profiles in the body and expensive details. Many believe that the Fulvia was the most beautiful car from Lancia, but also the one that broke them financially. In England, the Fulvia cost as much as a Jaguar E-type, so it's no wonder what people there preferred. To save costs, Lancia chose to move away from using aluminum in doors, hoods and trunk lids.
Sporty variants
Several variants were also produced such as the 1300 HF and 1600 HF (1967 – 1970), Montecarlo (1972 – 1976), Safari (1974 – 1976), Lusso (1970 – 1973) and Corsa (1970 – 1971). The Lancia Rallye 1600 HF was delivered with a 1,6 V4 of 115 HP as standard. In other variants, even more horsepower was extracted. It is safe to say that Lancia had not only made a beautiful coupé, but also a sporty car.
Facelift – series 2
Series 2 came in 1969/70 with some visual changes to the rear lights, exterior mirrors and narrow indicators. Inside, there were other seats, a new steering wheel and a short gear lever. Here one could sense a family resemblance to Fiat.
Fulvia Sport Zagato
The Fulvia Sport is a special variant of the Coupé model with which it shares the drivetrain and undercarriage. The model received a sportier bodywork that should make the cars more suitable for motorsport. One might well add that Zagato also created an alternative for Italian customers who wanted something more extraordinary.
About the pictures
The Lancia Fulvia sedan version participated in an exhibition of Italian cars in Asker city center in 2025. The red Coupe version was photographed at The London Classic Car Show in 2023. It is a Series 1 car that was on display at Lancia Motor Club UK its condition. The blue car with a yellow speed stripe was photographed at Manstad in Østfold. It is a 1600 HF series 1. The red rally-rigged car is photographed in the French Mediterranean town of Saint-Cyprien in the South of France in front of the "Rallye Tra'Montagne" for classic cars. The photos of the Mediterranean blue car were also taken at The London Classic Car Show. It is a rare RHD edition assembled in South Africa. The car is for sale from Hurst Park Automobiles for £23500. The engine compartment of the Sport Zagato is pictured at Øvrevoll gallop on the occasion of Norwegian Sportscar Clubs annual spring collection 2019. The picture of the blue Zagato, photographed from behind, was taken at Skui Gård in connection with an expanded Cars & Coffee car collection. The car had a Swedish registration number.
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