Developed initially as an executive car, the Lancia Flavia was produced from 1961 to 1971. 

It began life as a 1,500cc saloon, the 'brainchild' of Professor Antonio Fessia. It had a horizontally opposed 'Boxer' engine and four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes, with front-wheel-drive and independent front suspension.

In 1964, the Flavia evolved, with Coupé and Convertible models being added to the range, while in 1967 it as given a power upgrade and the engine capacity was increased to 1,800cc.

Despite its smallish engine, the Flavia was a lively car. In 1.8-litre form it would happily exceed 100mph, and was praised when new for its precise handling and eager performance, not to mention its incredible looks.

This example is as desirable as a Flavia gets – a later Coupé with that sensational Pininfarina styling allied to the larger 1,800cc Boxer engine and manual transmission. It’s a wonderful and very rare thing, especially as an original right-hand-drive UK market car. 

First registered in December 1967, WGU 710F has had just five owners so far in its 55-year life. The first kept it until 1994, and the second until 2013. It then passed through two other owners fairly quickly and was acquired by the vendor in 2015.

He has owned, enjoyed and maintained the Lancia for the past seven years but has recently acquired an even rarer classic coupé, so is having to let it go to make space. During his ownership, the Lancia has been looked after by renowned specialist Omicron in Norwich – regarded as the UK’s premier classic Lancia experts. 

There’s not much in the way of early paperwork with the car, but it does come with a workshop manual and parts manual in a folder, copied from the archives of the Lancia Motor Club. 

It also has a UK V5C and two comprehensive bills documenting work carried out in 2021 and 2022 at Omicron, documenting a fuel system overhaul, repairs to the Kügelfischer fuel injection set-up and a substantial brake and suspension overhaul.

Whether it’s moving or standing still, the Flavia is an absolutely striking car to look at. It’s imposing from every angle, elegant in a way that only an Italian car can be, from its quad headlamps to its low-profile roofline. Every single line, crease or curve has been created with style as its main emphasis and it stops people in their tracks – something we noticed whilst photographing it in a busy London side street. 

It’s not a perfect example. If you wanted to own a concours Flavia then it would be a great basis on which to create one as its remarkably original and seemingly solid, but at the same time it’s got a few areas where it shows its age. There are a couple of rust bubbles on one wheel arch and also on the boot lid and the nearside door bottom, but nothing drastic or major. 

There are also a few chips and marks on the paint – again, nothing that immediately draws your eye, but it’s clearly an older paint job and the car has been used regularly, so it’s not a show pony. It’s just a lovely, smart and honest old car.

Much like the exterior, the interior is clean and well-presented, but has a few areas where it could be improved. The most obvious of these is damage to the top corner of the driver’s seat where it has been rubbed by the seat belt. The red leather is otherwise spot on, so the next owner might choose to have the seat back retrimmed. 

The vendor had the carpets partially replaced last year and the headlining and door cards are in good order, though the driver’s side armrest is worn through and protected by tape. 

It has a beautiful wood-rimmed steering wheel and dash, both of which exhibit a gentle patina, while a glorious feature is its Motorola push-button radio – it works, and would have been a massively expensive option in its day.  

The fuel-injected 1,800cc engine is a characterful and lively unit and is said by the vendor to be in good running order. It fires up quickly from cold and settles to a steady but characteristically thrummy idle, holding a steady temperature.  

As well as the documented fuel system, suspension and brake work carried out in the past 18 months, the Lancia has at some point been fitted with an aftermarket aluminium fuel tank, which will assuage any fears about unobtainable parts rusting away – a previous owner has had all that fun already!

The vendor reports that the Flavia is a pleasure to drive and that there are no known running problems. 

This is a rare and truly beautiful car, which was a scarce sight in the UK even when it was new. To have survived in such original, smart and presentable condition is quite remarkable.

There are two ways in which you could really get the most from the Flavia. One option would be to use it as a solid, complete and very good basis on which to create a concours show car, for which it would be the perfect canvas.

The second would be to make the most of it exactly as it is – a charming, solid and usable car with an endearing, gentle patina that in the eyes of many will add to its appeal. It’s a lovely old thing and will very easily get under the skin of the next person who is lucky enough to own it.