La bella macchina: Lancia Fulvia Coupé Serie II

For those of you that avidly watch Top Gear (so that’s most of the UK adult, child and animal population then), it may have come as a surprise that their most rated car manufacturer, ever, was not Ferrari, Porsche or even Ford but a marque not often seen in the UK  - Lancia. For those among you, however, who pronounce this make as ‘Lan-chee-aa’ (how it’s supposed to be said, in Italiano), this will come as no surprise at all - which includes me, as I pine giving one up ten years ago. And even though I’ve had some lovely (and more expensive) cars since, ever since I sold my 1971 Fulvia Series 2 1.3 S for barely enough money to carpet the downstairs of my first house, I’ve missed the slightly smoky, slightly rusty bella macchina.

There was something about the clever and well-engineered tiny little v4 engine that was so cammy, spritely and dramatic – belying its puny 90hp output. Something about the lines of the car that gave it a look, like a cross between a Riva speedboat and a short-wheelbase ‘60s Ferrari.  There was something almost bespoke, about its interior and trim, and the Lan-chee-aa bores out there will tell you, the development of the Fulvia nearly bankrupt the then prominent sport car manufacturer, as a result.  A small, practical 4-seater ‘60s car that had front wheel drive, a V4 engine with double over-head camshafts, disc brakes all-round and a five speed gearbox  - all at a time when our dads’ generation had the Ford Anglia, Lancia took nothing from the newly formed Lancia-Fiat parts-bin of the day. The Fulvia Series 2, ahem, sorry Serie Due was a car which made its previous incarnation the Series 1 look like the boxy Italian Alfa police cars that break down in the Italian Job. But unlike in the the film, when launched this was a much more illusive (and expensive) car to be seen driving than a Mini Cooper.

Launched in 1969 the new Fulvia was a radical departure from its previous incarnation and went on to become one of the most important pre-Audi Quattro era rally cars - winning numerous competitions until the late '70s. The Fulvia (like this lovely example for sale in Belgium at Anglo Cars) marked a high water mark for the brand, which seemed to subsequently go further and further downhill under Fiat ownership (think Beta, think rust, Lancia Thema think erm….), making owning a Series 2 Fulvia, owning a piece of Italian auto design pride. Long gone as a modern day prestige brand, but not long forgotten: viva la Fulvia!