Affordable classic is a term of which we’ve always been a little skeptical. It’s a bit of a cliché. If a car is truly a classic, in the objective measure of the term, then surely it will command a suitably ‘classic’ price tag?
This may be true for many of the more conventionally blue chipped brands — but when it comes to a marque like Lancia, whose waxing and waning fortunes have led to huge swings and roundabout in the allure of their cars, there are, we think, still amazing bargains to be had.
Enter this brilliant little example of a Series 2 Fulvia Coupe 1.3 Rallye. If this isn’t a classic then we don’t know what is.
The Fulvia came in a variety of body shapes and engine sizes – from boxy, four doored Berliner to the angular Zagato Sport. But as one of the mainstays of the Lancia range from the early sixties to the late seventies, the broad Fulvia church accounted for a large proportion of Lancias out there on the road.
For us, the Rally-specced version of the pert-rumped coupé is the one to get our hearts beating fastest.
The HF tag (meaning High Fidelity) and adorned with inexplicable elephant icons, denoted the most out and out sport-specced version; featuring for 1972 a rebored 1300 engine, plexiglass side-windows, as well as a lightweight hood and race-style callipers to hold it in place. The white alloys, the punchy rosso paintjob and a stripped out, cross hatched aluminium interior trim completes a look that is purposeful in a typically Italian style.
This example is nice and clean and mechanically sound – and the body and interior remarkably clean for a car approaching its fifth decade. Currently in residence with Thornfalcon Classics in Somerset, the story goes that the Irish number plate echoes pleasingly a Torino original: lending it that regional and period authenticity loved by the burgeoning constituency of historic rally followers.
With a little tuning we think this could be a very pleasing weekend toy: and at an asking proce of £8,500, with a bit of love and care it should pay you back in fun as well as pound notes.
Images Influx/Michael Fordham
