Lancia is currently a struggling brand, now part of the struggling Stellantis group. For the past two decades, the brand has produced models that were mostly just slightly modified Chrysler models, such as the Thema, which was heavily based on the Chrysler 300, and the Voyager, which is so Chrysler-like that they even share a name.
Today, the situation at Lancia is not much better - they only sell the Ypsilon model, which is essentially just an Opel Corsa with a pinch of Italian charisma. It only becomes interesting in the HF version, which is made for rallying.
Among enthusiasts, Lancia is known as the brand that gave us some of the most beautiful cars of all time, such as the Stratos, 037, Delta HF Integrale and last but not least the Fulvia. These cars were not just made to please the eye, far from it - their purpose was also to dominate the world rally stage, which they did, and with distinction.
The first car to take Lancia to the top of the rally podium was the Fulvia. But its story didn't start with a small, agile coupe. Nor does the Fulvia's story end there.
Who needs four doors anyway?
The Fulvia story did not begin with the coupe as we know it today, but rather began in 1963 with the four-door Fulvia “Berlina,” which means “sedan” in Italian. The Fulvia did not initially impress with its design, as it was quite restrained in design for an Italian car in the XNUMXs.
But it was technically very advanced for its time – Lancia's engineers were able to
praised their new creation for having independent front suspension, disc brakes on the front and rear axles, and of course the famous V4 engine. The journalists also praised the build quality, which was above average for the time.
Two years later, in 1965, they decided that the Fulvia didn’t need four doors after all, so they launched a new model that dropped the rear pair of doors, which meant that the Fulvia became a coupe. Of course, that wasn’t the only difference – the shape changed from a relatively reserved, boxy shape to a much more rounded and pleasing one. It wasn’t just the shape that was pleasing; it was also wonderful to drive. Compared to the Berlina, it became more powerful, and because it lost the rear pair of doors and a few kilos on top of that, it was also very agile.
It sounds like a great combination for racing: a powerful engine that proved surprisingly reliable, small dimensions and excellent driving characteristics. Lancia thought there was something better. So they upgraded the Fulvia further and created a rally-ready model called the Rallye HF. Although the model was designed with racing in mind, it was fully homologated for use on public roads. With all the improvements to the engine and chassis, the engineers created what was probably the most exciting driving experience of any Lancia to date,
even though the front wheels were driven.
Of course, the Fulvia excelled in rallying. It dominated the Italian rally scene between 1965 and 1973 (with the exception of 1970), reaching its peak in 1972 when it won the International Manufacturers' Championship, the predecessor to the WRC.
It goes even better in the third
Lancia wanted to create a more sporty vehicle in the style of a "grand tourer" for those who did not want to attack corners at maximum speed, but with maximum pleasure. The Fulvia was a good basis for such a car, but they needed something more to succeed. So they turned to their Italian colleagues and masters of bodywork - Zagato. There, the famous designer Ercole Spada drew it,
who designed cars like the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, and later in the 80s the BMW Five and Seven.
The Fulvia Sport Zagato was presented together with the coupe at the 1965 Turin Motor Show. It shared the chassis and engine with the coupe, and was assembled at Zagato in Milan, where the bodywork was also designed.
Although the coupe and Sport Zagato were exactly the same in terms of dimensions, every part of the bodywork, except for the windscreen, was completely different. The front of the car had a steeper slope, while the sloping rear and protruding rear wings gave it a more aggressive look. These differences were not just design, as they improved aerodynamics, which gave the Sport Zagato a higher top speed than the coupe.
The Sport Zagato was even lighter than the already lightweight coupe, weighing just 907 kg, which is hard to imagine in today's cars. Its lightness made it even more agile than the coupe, which was synonymous with agility at the time.
Of course, we must not forget what made all Fulvias special: the V4 engine. The philosophy of the V4 engine was not new, having been introduced as early as 1922 and well-developed by the mid-60s. Although it was not among the most powerful in terms of power, it was very compact and surprisingly reliable.
The Fulvia Sport Zagato initially had a 1,2-liter V4 engine, which with its 79 horsepower wasn't particularly sporty, but due to the car's low weight and modest dimensions, it gave the impression that it was significantly more powerful than the power figure would indicate.
In 1966, Lancia fitted its mini grand tourer with a 1,3-litre V4 engine from the Rallye 1.3 coupe, which developed 86 horsepower. On paper, the improvement seemed small, but the car became noticeably faster. Of course, in 1968, Lancia dropped another 6 “horses” under the bonnet, bringing the total power to 92 horsepower. The addition of power steering was also essential, and was a welcome change. In 1970, Lancia fitted the engine from the rally version of the coupe, the 1.6 HF, into the most elegant model of the Fulvia – a 1,6-litre unit with
115 horsepower, which was a lot for the time, considering the low weight of the Fulvia Sport Zagato. With the help of a new 5-speed gearbox, the car reached a top speed of 190 km/h, making it the fastest Fulvia Lancia ever produced. Only 800 examples of this version were produced, which is why this version is worth significantly more than the others today.
After approximately 6100 units were built, the Fulvia Sport Zagato met its honorable end in 1973. Today, more than half a century later, Lancia's "mini grand tourer" Fulvia Sport Zagato still impresses with its driving experience, as the car is fundamentally different from today's increasingly heavier cars. The symphony of a V4 engine is no longer heard in cars today; only some motorcycles provide such a melody, and they do so at a significantly higher frequency.
