1981 Lancia Zagato

The Zagato Sport model was available from the Lancia Fulvia line. The Fulvia was introduced in the year 1963 and shared a great resemblance with the Lancia Flavia Berlina. Fitted with the smaller V4 engine that powered the front wheels, the Fulvia series also featured independent suspension and disk brakes all around.

The Lancia Flavia was introduced in 1960, and this new line was positioned between the Lancia Flaminia and the Lancia Appia. Lancia's first front-wheel drive vehicle was more economical, with production costs much cheaper and the construction less complex.

A less complex beam rear axle was fitted into the Falvia, along with an updated top-of-the-line brake system. Fuel injection was introduced in 1965 to all vehicles in the Flavia model series. The Lancia Flavia Sport Zagota, Flavia Berlina, Flavia Coupe and Flavia Convertible were all models in the Flavia line.

With a chassis derived from Vittorio Jano's Aurelia with coil-spring and wishbone front suspension, the Lancia Zagato came with the same V6 engine copied from the Aurelia. Modified to achieve 150 bhp, the Lancia could reach a top speed of nearly 130 mph.

Ugo Zagato, the founder of Zagota, was the pioneer of the use of lightweight materials among Italian coachbuilders. When the Lancia Zagato was introduced, Ugo was nearing the end of his life. A modern design consultancy and engineering services company, Zagato was located outside of Milan. In the midst of Italy's world-famous fashion industry, the company premises occupied nearly 23,000 square meters.

Established at the end of World War I, Ugo Zagota created a company that designed cutting-edge vehicles that became synonymous with lightweight and exception aerodynamics. With the signature 'double-bubble' roofline, the Zagato was designed for Lancia's top-of-the-range Supersport and Flaminia Sport.

At the time, Lancia's of this period were too complicated to restore, so many of these models are very rare today. An inspiration from Elio Zagota, the sport body was his design and brilliant creation. Ercole Spade began the design with the original chassis of the Coupe, and created an avant-garde body with more aerodynamics and more advanced stylistic solutions. Much like the Coupe, the Zagato had a 2330mm wheelbase, a front track of 1300mm, and a rear track of 1280mm.

Though lighter than the Coupe, the extended use of light alloy parts in the body made the Sport too delicate for long delicate for long-distance races. Easier to produce, steel coach and steel doors were adopted on the second series, while the first series vehicles had aluminum moving parts with boot-lid side openings.

In 1968, a spider prototype was introduced. The financial position of Lancia was steadily declining by the year 1969. The vehicles that they were producing were costly and not generating enough profit to make ends meet. The make was taken over by FIAT.

That same year, the Berlina and Coupe were offered with a new V4 Fulvia engine and slightly updated bodywork. This redesigned Flavia was built and produced until 1974. The Lancia Fulvia was also available as a Zagato Sport model.

By Jessica Donaldson

The Lancia Zagato Targa Coupe was designed and modified from a coupe by Zagato. The Targa Top could be put into one of four configurations. From 1981-82, 791 units were built, of which 75 were Special Edition.

The 2.0-liter, inline four-cylinder engine was transversely mounted and had double overhead cams and a fuel injection system.