1963 Lancia Flaminia Cabriolet

Lancia was established in Turin in 1906 by famous racing driver Vincenzo Lancia. Over the years, Lancia became synonymous with good handling and unconventional design of very high quality.

The Antonio Fessia-designed Flaminia was introduced at the 1956 Turin Motor Show. It retained its Aurelia predecessor's mechanical layout and unitary construction but featured a modern double wishbone arrangement. This setup was in place of Lancia's traditional 'sliding pillar' independent front suspension, introduced in 1922. The engine, another Aurelia carry-over, was a 60-degree, 2458cc, overhead-valve, all-alloy, V6 engine and DeDion rear transaxle with inboard brakes. Fessia reworked the Vittorio Jano-designed V6 engine, resulting in a much stronger power unit.

In 1958, the short-wheelbase Flaminia Coupe was introduced, followed by the Touring-styled GT and GTL (2+2) Coupes and Cabriolets. The Cabriolets had a short-wheelbase chassis which it shared with the Sport and Super Sport models. The 2458cc V6 engine offered nearly 120 horsepower when installed in the Flamiinia, with 140 horsepower available in the '3C' models from 1961.

There were relatively few examples of the Coupe and Cabriolet Flaminia built. This particular example is equipped with the 3C carburetor set-up, consisting of a trio of dual-throat Weber carburetors. The early history of this Flaminia 2.5 3C Cabriolet remains unknown, it is believed to have been delivered new to Germany since it is fitted with an additional German chassis plate and a kilometer-per-hour speedometer. The car's most recent owner was a Mr. William L. Pingree of Portsmouth, NH.

It wears a Touring-designed Cabriolet body that has received restoration work over the years. It has also had a recent engine rebuild.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2017