Lancia Flavia Convertible by Vignale, 1967
One of just 40 original UK supplied, RHD Vignale Convertibles, this particularly alluring 1.8 litre example, from the final year of production, was supplied new in 1967 by William Arnold Ltd in Manchester and first registered on 26th June of that year to its first owner, whose family would retain ownership for the ensuing three decades.
Expensive when new - for significantly less money you could have bought an E-Type Jaguar or even a Porsche 911 - this was a bespoke car, handbuilt to order for a wealthy and discerning clientele by one of Italy’s great carrozzieri, Vignale, overlapping with their production of Maserati’s 3500 GT Vignale Spyder. Both the Maserati and the Lancia were styled by Giovanni Michelotti.
Complete with its original, optional and rare Factory hardtop, which would have significantly bolstered the already high price, and finished in its original colour of Grigio Urano Metalizzato with navy blue trim and mohair hood, this particular Vignale Convertible makes for a compelling proposition, now looking exceptional value when compared to its Flaminia brethren and Alfa Romeo GTC rival.
Stripped to bare metal and refinished to a self-evidently impressive standard around 2010, the Lancia has covered less than 6,000 miles since, and has lived in dehumidified conditions. Photographically documented, it is clear just how corrosion-free and original this car was.
More recently, over the last four years, attention was turned to the mechanics of the car in a determined effort to ensure continued reliable performance. The list of works carried out is too exhaustive to list in detail here, but it encompasses a new clutch, suspension overhaul, rebuilt fuel system, a comprehensive engine rebuild, culminating in a carburettor overhaul by DK Engineering, who then set the whole car up (beautifully, in my opinion).
The interior is, with the exception of a new set of Wilton carpets, completely original and yet still highly enticing. The mohair soft top is in superb condition, and the wheels have been fitted with an expensive set of Continental tyres. Original black and white keys are present, as is the original driver’s handbook for the car, in rare English (despite the word ‘convertibile’ on the cover!). Also supplied are further sets of number plates to suit all tastes and legal requirements.
Classic & Sportscar magazine, in its July 2016 issue, featured the car in a head to head comparison with an Alfa Romeo Giulia GTC. Apparently, it was chosen for being, arguably, the finest example of a Vignale Convertible in the UK. Looking at the car now, it is easy to see how this may very well still be the case.
Supplied in the past by Lancia specialist Richard Thorne, and with invoices in the history file in the recent past from the likes of Omicron, Middle Barton Garage and DK Engineering, this genuinely lovely and in many ways highly original Lancia will appeal to the most discerning of buyers, just as it did when new.
*****
PRICE
£ 35,000
07968 094741
The car is presently UK registered and is supplied with a UK registration document.
