1959 Lancia Flaminia Sport Coupe

The Lancia Flaminia, introduced in 1957, replaced the Lancia Aurelia as the company's flagship model. With Lancia's legendary 2.5-liter V6 engine, the Flaminia was available as a saloon, coupe or cabriolet, but the most sought-after model was the short wheelbase Sport Coupe of which 99 were bodied in lightweight aluminum by Carrozzeria Zagato.

This striking Zagato-bodied Lancia Flaminia features the Milanese styling house's trademark double-bubble roof line. Introduced at the 1956 Turin Motor Show and intended as a replacement for the Aurelia, the Flaminia retained its predecessor's 2.5-liter, overhead-valve, V6 engine and DeDion rear transaxle with inboard brakes, though Lancia's traditional sliding-pillar independent front suspension was replaced by the more modern double-wishbone arrangement. Topping the Lancia range were the Zagato-bodied Sport and Supersport models, both of which shared a shortened wheelbase. A 2.7-liter engine was introduced for 1963, by which time the sportier Flaminias were capable of almost 130 mph.

At the 1958 Torino Auto Salon, Lancia introduced two new variations of the Flaminia including the Sport and the GT. Both models were fitted to the shortened Flaminia platform, though the two could not have been more different in style or character. The Touring-bodied GT was a comfortable, gran turismo, while the Zagato-bodied Sport version was geared more towards the discerning enthusiast who required a dual-purpose sporting car of exceptional quality.

The Zagato-bodied Lancia had an organic, streamlined body and utilized lightweight construction. Their alloy bodywork was much lighter than the Touring GT. Also, there were covered headlamps, flush door handles, and signature 'double-bubble' roofline. In total, only 99 of these cars were built. 33 were built with covered headlights.

This Lancia Flaminia Sport with chassis number 824.000-1097 was purchased by Caretti Patrizia, an Italian resident who is believed to have owned the car for many years. It was exported to the United States in 1984. It passed through Anton Krivanek and Paul Forbes before being sold in 1987 to Guido Bartolomeo. It remained with Sig. Bartolomeo until his passing in 2003. Mr. Forbes re-acquired the car from the estate and returned it to the United States.

The car has been given a complete and thorough restoration. Over the course of several years, the vehicle was restored to exacting standards, from the original aluminum bodywork to the entire drivetrain and electrical system. The work totaled over $450,000.

This Lancia is fitted with Sport seats, and a triple-Weber carburetor '3C' configuration, which was also featured on the pre-production Flaminia Zagato 'Speciale' racing prototypes as well as later, open-headlight models.

The car was shown at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it captured Third in Class (Lancia Post-War Through 1967). It has received awards at the Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance, the San Marino Motor Classic, and the Milwaukee Masterpiece.

The car is finished in the original colors of blue-green metallic with pumpkin leather upholstery.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the Pebble Beach auction presented by Gooding & Company. The car was estimated to sell for $375,000 - $450,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $412,500 inclusive of the buyer's premium.