1961 Lancia Flaminia

The Lancia Flaminia was produced for over a dozen years, from 1957 through 1970, with 12,633 examples produced during that time. It replaced the Aurelia which had been introduced in 1950 and is noted for being one the earliest vehicles to employ a series-production V6 engine. Since the beginning, Lancia was renowned for its technological and mechanical ingenuity, such as the unibody chassis of the 1922 Lambda and the five-speed gearbox introduced in the 1948 Ardea. They are also highly regarded for their accomplishments in rally racing, and they still hold more Manufacturers' Championships than any other brand.

The Lancia Flaminia was unveiled as a prototype at the Turin Motor Show in October 1956. It was built atop the Aurelia chassis that had been shortened by 80 millimeters and offered in a coupe and saloon configuration and bodied by various coachbuilders. In keeping with the Lancia tradition of naming models after Roman roads, the Flaminia was named after the Via Flaminia, the road leading from Rome to Ariminum (Rimini).

The front suspension employed a conventional configuration with coil springs, double wishbones, an anti-roll bar, and telescopic shock absorbers. A De Dion setup was used in the back, with a transaxle mounted at the rear as in the Aurelia. The coupe had a 99-inch wheelbase, while the saloon measured 113 inches. The coupe's length was 177 inches, while the salon was 192 inches. Drum brakes were used on the early Berlina models, while disc brakes were optional. All other models received disc brakes as standard equipment.

The styling was inspired by the Florida I and Florida II Design Studies created by Pinin Farina. The first was shown in 1955 and at the Turin Show in September, while the Lancia Florida II arrived two years later. Four examples of the Florida I were built, including three 4-door sedans with rear suicide doors along with a single coupe. The Florida II was a two-door coupe with pillarless windows on the door and powered by a 2,266cc V6 engine that developed 87 horsepower at 4,800 RPM.

The styling of the Lancia Flaminia Coupe was similar to the Florida II, using many of its design cues and elements, albeit with a B-pillar and resting on a much shorter platform. The Flaminia also received a larger air scoop, framed door glass, a steeply raked windshield, and door vent windows. Although the Florida and Flaminia were similar, they were also significantly different. The Florida was large and its shape and demeanor catered to the American market. The minimal use of chrome trim was meant to highlight the design features, leaving much of the surface devoid of any glaring elements that would distract the design from the smooth, compound curves. Slight tailfins appeared on the Florida I, and both the I and II featured a large, oval-shaped, egg-crate grille with built-in headlamps. Auxiliary lamps were positioned in the fenders where the headlights would normally appear.

The Flaminia Berlina (saloon / sedan) body style was introduced in March of 1957 at the Turin Auto Show and incorporated the suicide rear doors of the Florida. All other body style versions used conventional, front-hinged doors. The Berlina holds the distinction of being the only Flaminia body built by Lancia and the only design to last through the entire production period. Of the 3,344 Berlinas built, the majority received the 2.5-liter engine, with 599 being equipped with the 2.8-liter version.

5,236 examples of the Flaminia Coupe were built through 1967 with 4,151 employing the 2.5-liter engine and 1,085 the 2.8-liter version. The styling, created by Pininfarina and similar to the Florida II, used a frontal appearance that nearly mimicked the Berlina, with the headlight frames being one of the distinguishable features. The Coupe used round headlight frames, while the versions used by the saloon pointed slightly upwards. Production of the coupe was also handled by Pininfarina and built atop a shortened wheelbase.

The Lancia Flaminia Sport with coachwork by Carrozeria Zagato wore the distinctive trademark 'Double Bubble' roofline and was a true aerodynamic two-seater skinned in aluminum alloy. The doors featured pop-out handles, and the curvaceous body included a low, functional air scoop on the bonnet. Early examples had flush-covered headlights while later-built models received classic round designs. In 1964, the Super Sport replaced the Sport with the introduction of the 2.8-liter engine. Along with higher output engines, the Super Sport wore a Kammback, and the front incorporated tear-shaped headlight casings. Just like the Coupe, production of the Zagato-bodied Sport (Super Sport) ended in 1967 with a combined total of 593 units. Of those, 99 are considered 'Preseries', 344 are Sports, and 150 are Supersports. 205 were of the 2.5-liter covered and open ('Classic') headlight design, which appeared from 1959 to 1961. Production of the triple-Weber-carburetted '3C' versions is estimated at a total of 174 units with various engine sizes.

Carrozzeria Touring also designed and built a two-door body style known as the GT and GTL (2+2) coupes and the convertible. The GTL was introduced in 1962 and rested on a slightly longer wheelbase. Production of the convertible lasted through 1964, with 847 examples made, including 180 with the 2.8-liter engine. The GT and GTL were produced until 1965, with 1,718 examples of the GT and 300 of the GTL. Of those, 168 examples of the GT received the 2.8-liter engine, and 297 were GTLs with the 2.8.

The Touring-styled coupe and convertible rested on a shortened (to 99-inches) wheelbase, which it shared with the Sport and Super Sport models. All examples received disc brakes, and most received the 2,458cc V6 engine with 119 horsepower. The '3C' models produced 140 bhp.

The all-aluminum, 40-degree V6 engines had overhead valves, four main bearings, solid lifters, and hemispherical combustion chambers. Chassis dynamics were exceptional, thanks in part to the clutch and four-speed transaxle being mounted at the rear. After approximately 500 examples had been built, the drum brakes were replaced with vacuum-assisted Dunlop discs all round, with separate hydraulic circuits for the front and rear. Depending on the configuration, the single carburetor setup produced between 102 to 119 hp. The triple-carburetor version (3C) produced 140 horsepower. The 2.8-liter engine with the triple carburetor (as used in the Super Sport) produced 152 horsepower. The triple-barrel carburetor setup produced 128 hp in the Berlina, 136 hp in the coupe, and 150 hp in the Sport, Convertible, GT, and GTL.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2021