Lancia Flaminia Sport 3C 2.5 Litre Coupé Coachwork by Carrozzeria Zagato 1962, Itália

 

Lancia Flaminia Sport 3C 2.5 Litre Coupé Coachwork by Carrozzeria Zagato 1962, Itália

Fotografia

This striking Zagato-bodied Lancia Flaminia Super Sport features the Milanese styling house's renowned 'double bubble' body form in which low overall lines and a rounded streamlined shape are achieved by the simple but ingenious device of convex head-clearance roof bulges above each front seat.
One of the oldest and most respected of automotive design firms, Zagato was quick to exploit the popularity of the new GT racing category after WW2, supplying factory teams and catering for the privateer scene with roadable cars that could be driven competitively on the racetrack come the weekend. The creator of some of the most memorable designs of this, arguably Zagato's most productive period, was Ercole Spada. Favouring soft fluent, aerodynamic lines, Spada introduced the sawn-off tail on the Alfa Romeo Giulia Tubolare Zagato and was also responsible for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and 2600 SZs. His creations on Lancia chassis included the Zagato Sport/Super Sport variants of the Flavia, Fulvia and Flaminia.
Introduced at the 1956 Turin Motor Show, Lancia's top-of-the-range Flaminia retained its Aurelia predecessor's mechanical layout, though Lancia's traditional 'sliding pillar' independent front suspension gave way to a more-modern double wishbone arrangement. Aurelia carry-overs were the 60-degree, 2,458cc, overhead-valve, V6 engine, and the De Dion rear transaxle with inboard brakes. The Zagato-bodied Sport and Super Sport models shared a shortened wheelbase with the Touring-styled GT/GTL coupés and the Convertible, and all featured disc brakes and increased power. A 2,775cc engine was introduced in 1962, by which time the sportier Flaminias were capable of around 200km/h (130mph).
Zagato made a number of styling changes over the years, though determining the configuration and specification of individual cars is extremely difficult. Faired-in headlamps under Plexiglas cowls featured on the first 99 cars, which were followed by a further 100 single-carburettor models with open vertical headlamps. Introduced in 1961, the 3C variant featured triple Weber 35DCN carburettors in place of the single Solex, which raised maximum power to 140bhp. Later Sport and Super Sport models were fitted with the 2.8-litre engine.
Featuring the Milanese carrozzeria's signature 'double bubble' roof, this example of the last word in old-style Lancia design is one of 174 Zagato Sport 3C 2.5-litre models built during 1962/1963. Chassis number '3311' had been in the same ownership since 1979 when it was purchased as a 'barn find' from its French owner by renowned marque specialists, Thornley Kelham. The Flaminia was subsequently sold to the current owner, who commissioned Thornley Kelham to undertake a complete 'last-nut-and-bolt' restoration to better-than-new condition. Final costs totalled £322,000 and all receipts are available.
Commencing in November 2015, this total restoration would take some four years to complete, during which all mechanical sub-assemblies were stripped and fully rebuilt. The car was rewired and fully re-trimmed, while over 1,200 hours were spent on painstakingly removing the body's aluminium panels, repairing the corroded steel chassis, and repairing and refitting the body. Every nut and bolt was removed, cleaned, and then either reconditioned or replaced before being repainted. The Flaminia is now finished in a very elegant silver/grey with a red leather interior, and has won several concours prizes since completion in 2019. The car has covered only some 4,000 kilometres over the last two years and, as one would expect, is presented in immaculate condition. Rarely do such exceptional examples come on the open market. Offered with a V5C Registration Certificate and the aforementioned restoration receipts.