HIGHLIGHTS

Two previous owners
Never welded
Remarkable backstory and stacks of history
One of only six Series 2 Y10s known in the UK and the only LHD model

THE APPEAL

Launched in 1985, the Autobianchi Y10 was the Italian firm’s replacement for the popular A112, which had been in production for 17 years.

Regarded in its native Italy as a posher and sportier offshoot of Fiat, Autobianchi was little known in other markets, where the Y10 (or Ypsilon) was marketed as a Lancia instead, trading off the marque’s reputation for unusual and interesting cars.

And interesting was certainly a byword for the Y10. Sold with a distinctive matt black tailgate, the little Lancia was better trimmed than most of its rivals and seen as a fashionable, premium supermini in its day, albeit one that sold in limited numbers in the UK, where Lancia was a niche brand to start with.

This one has a fascinating story. It was bought new in 1990 by a British couple in Suffolk, who had a holiday home and family in Marignane, just outside Marseilles in the South of France. The (then new) car was imported after their summer holiday in 1990 and until 2007 was used just once a year to drive from Sudbury to Marignane, simply so that they had a left-hand-drive car for the holiday. It was serviced by their local garage before each trip, with 25 years of consecutive service invoices.

It was garaged otherwise and remained so after the owners passed away, to be discovered in 2012 by a prominent member of the Lancia Motor Club, who recommissioned it himself and used it for a 3,700km touring holiday – after all, it’s what the Lancia was used to.

The current owner acquired the car last year in a probate sale as he wanted something quirky and unusual to take to the Festival of the Unexceptional – the annual celebration of the ordinary and obscure.

But with something equally oddball lined up for this year’s event and nowhere to store the Lancia indoors, he’s decided to let the Y10 go. It’s a reluctant sale as he’s slightly in love with the car and its story, but ideally it needs to be kept and cherished.

THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK

UK V5C
Nearly new MOT valid until June 2025
Original bill of sale from Mirabeau Automobiles in Marignane
Import papers from 1990
Original receipt from the hovercraft crossing in 1990 when it returned to the UK
25 years of service invoices from the local garage in Sudbury that maintained it
All old MOT certificates
Repair invoices from the car’s recommissioning in 2013/14
Never, ever welded
Original Lancia handbook
Service book stamped by garage that maintained the car until space in the book ran out
125,554km (about 78,600 miles)
Blaupunkt radio handbook
Original Y10 sales brochures
Show stickers and plaques from Lancia Motor Club events
Historic photos from early in the car’s life
Full and comprehensive history documenting a fascinating 34-year life
Rare French dealer “Appia” special edition, only sold in 1990
Festival of the Unexceptional mirror hanger
Y10 factory service and repair manual
Selection of spares and service parts in the boot

THE CONDITION

Metallic Black with pinstripes and ‘Appia’ logos
Amazingly solid and never welded – never had a corrosion advisory on the MOT
Original Mirabeau Automobiles rear windscreen sticker
Very solid and tidy overall condition but the body is showing its age in places, with minor rust bubbles on one wheelarch, the bottom of the nearside front wing, one door bottom and the front scuttle. Sills and underside are superb
Matt black tailgate has some blooming in paint
All badges and exterior trim in good condition
Previous owner has applied touch-up paint in places – it doesn’t match very well!
Underside is remarkably solid with no signs of any structural corrosion
Body is very straight overall with only a couple of very minor trolley dings
Lovely interior with beige and tan houndstooth upholstery
Original Blaupunkt San Remo stereo concealed behind fold-down flap
Rubber flooring in great order
Very good headlining and door cards

THE MECHANICS

999cc FIRE engine
45bhp
Five-speed manual transmission
Starts on the button and runs sweetly
Recent new central exhaust
Coolant leak (top hose) advised on last MOT has since been repaired
According to the vendor the Lancia is huge fun to drive and gets loads of attention, much of it from people who haven’t a clue what it is

BEFORE YOU BUY
This sale is subject to the Car & Classic Terms and Conditions. By bidding and/or making an offer, you also agree to the following:
✓ The seller is registered as a private seller which means consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not come into effect. However, you are still covered by Car & Classic’s own Terms and Conditions..
✓ We request that a non-refundable fee be paid if you are the lucky winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted Please refer to our helpful FAQs and T&Cs for specific rates.
✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is Where Is’ basis and without warranty. Photos and descriptions are solely for guidance purposes and it's customary to carry out a full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase for your own peace of mind.
✓ VAT is included in the buyer's deposit. VAT may or may not be included in the final bid or offer price, as specified in the listing.
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✓ We also check whether vehicles are recorded as being written off as part of an insurance total loss claim at the time an advert is placed on Car & Classic and we helpfully provide write-off category labels (Cat C/D/S/N) for your assistance. However, the presence or absence of a label does not guarantee the vehicle’s status and it is always worthwhile carrying out your own full vehicle history check before making an offer on a vehicle.
✓Buyers are responsible for vehicle collection
or delivery. Importing vehicles may result in additional customs duties and import taxes so it’s worth checking beforehand.. If requested, we may refer you to a third-party shipping company who can help. For more details and to speak to the team, email [email protected]