Descrição
This is a genuine matching numbers 1. 6HF with unique provenance, owned and raced in period by F1 ace Alessandro Nannini, engine by Campoli, Works features, ready to campaign, drive, or show.
History
This very early 1. 6HF tipo 818. 540 #001109 was the 109th of 1278 cars produced. Our car was manufactured in early 1969 at Lancia’s Borgo San Paolo plant, from where it was sent to the main dealer in Torino. Our car’s first owner was 75-year-old Sig. Franco Malandrini of Siena, where it was first registered on 13th August 1969. The car remained with Sig. Malandrini for some nine years until April 1978, when it was sold to one 19-year-old Alessandro Nannini who lived locally.
“Sandro” Nannini would later be battling the likes of Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna in Formula One; but his racing career began with rallying - as a matter of fact, his racing career began with this Fanalone. In 1978 Nannini teamed up with his friend, master engine builder and all-round Lancia guru Fabio Neri, who was beginning to gain a fierce reputation in engine tuning and race preparation after Lancia’s own Squadra Corsa was trounced in the 1965 Rally dei Fiori by a privateer Lancia Flavia 1. 5 prepared by him.
The two set about preparing this car for competition use, which involved a fully reworked engine with higher compression and fabled “variante 1016” super high-lift camshafts. Neri mated this engine to a tipo 818. 740 gearbox, which housed a set of close-ratio gears to give bullet acceleration. The car also had its suspension lowered, a bolt-in roll cage installed and quick-release bonnet and boot catches fitted. The finishing touch was the fitment of Nannini’s own small diameter Fusina race wheel, which the car still wears today.
Nannini piloted this car in the 1978 Italian Rally Championship, alongside a Stratos which was also entered by the Neri F. Racing Team. Nannini and Neri accumulated over 10 first place finishes with these two cars, photos of such exploits are in the car’s history file.
The following year Nannini moved from rallying onto Formula Italia, and sold this special Fanalone to another resident of Siena. The car passed through a handful of Italian owners competing regularly in Italian events such as Coppa Carotti, the Rally del Corallo, and the Coppa Liburna Storico (full ownership history on file); in current ownership the HF was used on the 2017 Via Flaminia tour.
The Lancia was imported into the UK by the current owner in 2016 and is here for sale on consignment.
Body
The body on this car is arrow straight, and with consistent panel gaps all round – particularly the thin aperture of the door gaps on this car are noteworthy. The four opening panels on these Fanalones are constructed entirely from aluminium. The body retains all of its 1. 6HF specific features.
Our example is clad in its original colour of grigio escoli metalizzatto and the paint was renewed in 2019 and today present perfectly. At the time of the repainting, the windscreen was replaced and new front and rear screen rubbers installed.
This Fanalone boasts weight-saving Lancia Works features which we believe it left the factory with. These include fantastically rare aluminium door handles rather than the stock Mazac units, and perspex rear quarter lights and rear screen.
All trim, lighting and glass is very good and in keeping with the condition of the rest of the car.
Mechanicals
About ten years ago the car was delivered to Ezio Campoli of Campoli Elaborazioni, Rome, widely regarded in Italy as the best of the best when it comes to Fulvia building. Campoli completely rebuilt the engine, maintaining its highly-strung competition character, but swapping out the largely intractable 1016 camshafts for Group 2 specification units. The result is outstanding, a seriously powerful motor and we reckon about 140HP. But, crucially, as well as top end power there is also huge low down torque, which really makes this car a joy to drive on the road. A blissfully well-balanced and free-revving engine that will race right round to 7, 000 RPM with one blip of the throttle.
In this YouTube clip Campoli describes and demonstrates the car:
- details above
The suspension, steering and brakes appear to have also been gone through recently (including the fitment of competition shock absorbers) as everything is in very good order, and this car handles sublimely with super tight and direct steering.
In current ownership a lot of maintenance has been performed including replacing the tyres with Avon 185/ 70HR 13 CR6ZZs, fitting a new exhaust, brake overhaul including new master cylinder, ignition overhaul, fuel system overhaul including new electric fuel pump and regulator together with annual lubrication services.
Continuously MOTd since importation and current MoT with no advisories.
Interior
You step into this car and sit in the canted-back lightweight Fanalone seat, wrap your hands around Sandro Nannini’s old steering wheel and see the 10, 000RPM tachometer with it’s manually adjustable red line. This doesn’t feel like any other Fulvia. This feels special. The dashboard is in good condition, with its black-backed HF specific gauges. Some minor cracking apparent to the dash top, as shown.
The two seats are the original ones, which are supremely comfortable with their Zagato-esque wrap-around pillar bolstering, and are in good condition still wearing their original coverings. The door cards are again original with their Fanalone-specific lightweight fittings. All switchgear is correct, and everything here works as it should. The sill carpeting and the floor matting were replaced in 2017.
An (in-date) fire extinguisher is fitted to the passenger floor, and a battery cut out switch resides in the glove box.
Boot
Clean, straight and entirely rust-free, complete with spare wheel and the original Battaini jack and tool kit; the fuel tank was replaced around 10 years ago.
Summary
This is a genuine Fanalone, not a copy. As Fanalones go, this is surely one of the most charismatic of them all, with its wonderful provenance and wild engine. Here is a car that is equally comfortable on a Sunday blast or a San Remo special stage.
Supplied with original keys, sales brochure, owner’s handbook, Lancia Motor Club dating letter, full ownership history from new including Nannini authentication and tailored indoor car cover.
E&OE
