1971 Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF

With the steering wheel on the right side, a manual transmission and the genuine 1.6-litre HF engine, this Fulvia already has plenty of boxes ticked. One more is the gorgeous shade of Mendoza Blue it’s been painted in – perfect for reflecting the gleam of the Mediterranean as you park up somewhere picturesque on the Amalfi Coast.

An older restoration (approximately 20 years according to the vendor) a donor 1300 shell was sourced and used as the base. The opportunity was taken at the same time to replace the bonnet, boot lid and doors with lightweight alloy alternatives (Peraluminium technically). Period-correct HF wheel arch flairs and a 1584cc engine were also added at the same time. The transformation was completed with more HF-correct bits on the inside including the pleated door cards, high-back sports seats and an oil temperature gauge. It’s even sporting the highly-desirable (and expensive) Cromodora alloy wheels.

This very tidy Fulvia would be the envy of many at a car show, but as its restoration took place at least two decades ago, there are a couple of areas that are less than perfect. The paintwork does have some swirl marks here and there and the finish exhibits some fish eyes in the area above the boot (under the rear screen). It’s almost inevitable that those soft alloy replacement panels were going to pick up some light damage and, low and behold, the odd mark is now visible. Worst of which is a small dent to the nearside door. Some fine mild rippling is evident on the driver’s door and the front wing on the same side, but we’re being picky here. The overall impression this car gives is a very good one.

We scoured around this Lancia looking for its nemesis, rust and can happily only report a few very minor areas of surface corrosion. Two of the wheel arches (offside front and rear) have some very light rust on their inner edges. There’s also a couple of small spots on the corners of the boot aperture and some pitting on the boot edge. In better news, very healthy-looking Continental Eco Contact 3 tyres surround exceptional 14-inch Cromodora alloy wheels that effectively as new.

The elegance of this pretty coupe continues into the cabin. The wooden dash cut through with a stylish flourish of plastic that houses the heater controls is supplemented by a beautiful chrome ‘Fulvia’ script badge above the passenger grab handle. Two large dials sit in pride of place, directly in the driver’s view. Speedo to the left and rev counter to the right. Volts, coolant and oil temp gauges are all present and correct and appear to be working as they should. Not only is the inside of this Lancia still a stylish place to be, but it’s also fairly well equipped for a car of this era. There’s even a warning light to tell you you’ve left your handbrake on, swanky by early-1970s standards.

The trim appears to be in very fine order throughout. There’s a tiny bit of fabric gathering around the nearside rear quarter window and there’s a crack in the passenger side front door card but really that’s about all we could find worth mentioning. The driver’s seat base padding appears a little past its prime but its fabric remains rip free. In the boot there’s evidence of a well-fabricated patch welded neatly to the nearside suspension turret. Elsewhere there’s a little paint damage to the underside of the boot lid but really, we’re being pedantic now.

Evidence of some previous patches to some of the metalwork in the usual areas can be identified, but the quality of work is high. The underside remains covered in a coating of underseal that appears to still be doing an admirable job of putting off the inevitable. The rear shocks have been upgraded with a pair of Konis and there’s also an adjustable roll-bar link fitted to allow some degree of handling customisation. The front suspension shocks appear older and standard, though seem to be in good working order (no leaks).

The front end has the usual covering of oil mist from old leaks, though we couldn’t detect any current ones and these ancestral spills have done a good job of keeping corrosion at bay. While on the subject, there’s some surface rust evident on the lower wishbones though it’s clearly not affecting their strength. The exhaust looks a little tired, especially around the joints, with a little leaking condensation visible. A couple of fins on the baffled oil sump have chips taken out of them, though these don’t appear to affect its function. In essence, things under here are tidy if well used.

A number of bills from the ‘right’ specialists are present and correct in this Lancia’s history file. For example, the twin Dellorto DHLB carburettors were totally stripped, cleaned and rebuilt by Peter Harding Classic Restorations in 2007 at a cost of £436.50. Substantial bills from Omicron and Auto Integrale also pop up with reassuring frequency. Of most interest is a bill from the former for extensive refresh work carried out just last year. A water pump leak was detected so that was changed, along with a new gasket to sort the issue. The cam chain was new but the tensioner spring needed an extension made to improve its action. Those rear Konis are only a year old as it turns out, as they were fitted to replace some incorrect items previous in 2020.

Beyond a doubt, the highlight of this car’s history is a £1903.26 bill from Auto Integrale for a gearbox tear down and rebuild in 2014. The bulk ring for fourth gear, bearing for second, synchro rings and clutch were all replaced with new items at the same time. Finally, it’s worth noting that this Fulvia has never failed a MoT test since it popped up on the DVLA’s digital radar back in 2008. There’s further evidence of MoTs (pre-digital) going right back to 1995, though sadly no further.

It’s clear that this highly presentable Lancia has been well cared for over the years by some of the top specialists and classic car restorers in the country. It’s also obvious that its six former keepers have used and loved it in equal measure.

There’s a good amount of recent work to ensure that it should be on the button and ready to go. There are few better looking or driving classic coupes out there and this example appears in fine shape, ready to take on another 50k miles with ease. We’re therefore confident at placing an estimate of £21,000 - £31,000 on this fine Fulvia.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; our offices are open Mon-Fri 9.00 am to 5.00pm. To arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.