1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupé

First registered in 1972 and imported from Italy in 2017 having had just six owners there, this beautiful little Lancia Fulvia Coupe S is fitted with the 1.3 engine that develops 92bhp. A left-hand-drive car, it has obviously lived a pampered life in Italy as it has none of the rust, rot or other corrosion issues that can plague the model.

It has now been road-registered in the United Kingdom and so comes with both its Italian and British paperwork. Finished in Rosso Red and fitted with a black interior, the owner tells us that the car is a “delight”.

The Rosso Red bodywork is in stunning condition for a car of this age, being deep and glossy and showing none of the fading that can affect cars that live in sunnier climes than ours. The panels are straight and free of ripples and other damage, and the shutlines, especially on the doors, are impressive for an Italian car that was built in the early seventies. 

It has almost certainly had localised repairs to the bodywork over the years but, bar a small amount of overspray in the wheelarches and suspension shackles, the work appears to have been done well. It’s so good, in fact, that we’d strongly encourage you to go and take a look at the Lancia for yourselves in order to best appreciate just how solid and presentable it is.

Because, as we said in our introduction, rust simply isn’t an issue on this vehicle. Bar a couple of small cracks in the paintwork where surface rust has taken hold, it is complete free of the dreaded tin-worm and so potential buyers can rule out the number one concern with these cars and simply concentrate on owning and enjoying it. 

In fact, aside from some slightly faded trim and lightly pitted chromework, the only other fault we can find is a nearside headlight that is cloudy and appears to have suffered from some mold and mildew. This would be an easy matter to put right, either by disassembly and refurbishment or simply buying a new headlight.

The underside of the car is as clean as you’d expect of a car that’s spent 47 years in sunny Italy and has probably never seen salt in its life. Neatly undersealed, we’d be tempted to hide the red overspray by applying a bit more black underseal over the top but other than that there’s nothing else to do under there.

The steel wheels are presentable and fitted with matching Pirelli P4 tyres, yet another sign that this is not your usual, tarted-up-to-take-advantage-of-a-buoyant-market Lancia Fulvia.

The black vinyl seats are in good order with no rips or tears or other serious wear to them. However, while the passenger’s seat base cushion has split on the seam, a decent car trimmer should be able to restore this without too many difficulties.  

The wooden veneer dashboard is a period delight and in very good condition indeed. Neatly framing five Veglia gauges and two chrome knobs, it extends the full width of the car and compliments the sporty wooden steering wheel perfectly. A retro-style modern radio, complete with iPod/smartphone input confronts the passenger, giving them complete control of the in-car entertainment (if you discount the exhaust note, that is…).

The original black rubber mats are in great shape too, being protected by fitted carpet over-mats, and the headlining is taut and clean.

Faults are pretty much limited to a cracked nearside door trim that has been repaired with duct tape, in addition to a light overall patina which is only to be expected given the car’s age.

Fitted with what appears to be a new exhaust, the Lancia’s engine appears to be oil-tight, which is something of a miracle! The engine bay is clean and tidy too, and the vendor has just fitted a rebuilt starter motor and a new starter solenoid. Unfortunately there is no great train of invoices etc to explain this car's condition, often the case for an Italian import. 

With this in mind, we’d encourage anyone who might be interesting in bidding to go and take a look at the car for themselves so they can form their own opinion as to the car’s mechanical condition. However, if you can’t make it down there in person, the vendor does tell us that it starts and runs well and is showing no warning lights.

The Fulvia comes with a set of Italian paperwork - including a comprehensively stamped service history book from its early days - in addition to the British V5 registration document showing the car’s one previous UK owner.

The (albeit sparse) online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s low mileage. 

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing to see this paperwork.

This sweet little Lancia Fulvia is completely solid, in stark contrast to many of its contemporaries; Italian seventies’ steel was never the greatest quality, and most Lancias, Alfa Romeos and the like simply weren’t up to shrugging off four decades of British salt without dissolving. 

For this reason, buying a car that’s spent its life in a salt-free environment makes an awful lot of sense because any problems with the trim or mechanical components can be sorted out fairly cheaply if the structure is solid.

So, the light patina this car wears could be left ‘as is’ without any embarrassment on the part of its new owner or the Fulvia could be transformed into a potential show-winning car with just a small amount of work.

But, no matter which direction the new owner takes, they’re going to have an awful lot of fun in one of the best-handling - and prettiest - cars of a generation.

It’s not going to cost you too much, either. We expect this outstanding example to sell for between £10,500 and £14,000, at which price point it offers outstanding value.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in West Sussex; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.