Flavia Sport chassis mystery

[Ed Levin]

I have a mystery chassis number. This morning I saw the only Flavia Sport I know of in the US, a car that was imported from South Africa a few years ago. The chassis number is 815.333.001532; it has 1.8 badging, and a 1800 with twin Webers, both of which seem original to the car. It is currently having some minor bodywork issues attended to, and it has been resprayed, but it is an unrestored example and largely original inside and out.

Neither Weerninck book seems to acknowledge the existing of chassis code 815.333. La Lancia shows 815.333 as the LHD version of the 1800 convertible (815.335), but this is simply a typo—it can’t be right, which is confirmed by the Fulvia and Flavia Collector's Guide, which has the LHD convertible correctly as 815.334.

Logically, 815.333 should be the RHD version of 815.332, but this also can’t be right, as 815.332 is a 1500 Sport, which Weerninck says is LHD only, and the car in front of me was clearly a 1.8.

La Lancia does indicate that some South African Flavias have different chassis codes. For example, the 1800 Berlina is 815.300 [LHD] or 815.301 [RHD], but 815.305 as RHD for South Africa. I don’t know this car to be originally South African, but it was exported from there to the US, and I have no reason to think that it wasn’t original to SA.

Accordingly, the only conclusion I can come to is that 815.333 is the RHD South African companion to the twin-carb 1800 Flavia Sport 815.532/533 (LHD/RHD).

Does this make any sense? All advice or assistance will be gladly acknowledged

[jogo48]

Hello Ed.

I know that in the ancient past that most vehciles imported to SA had 2B part-assembles in SA, basically being shipped from Euro as knock-down kits, allowing for a certain amount of local-content / local labor 2B built into each car, resulting in a much lower import tariff.
So, what does this mean ? Perhaps the VIN you have seen is a "SA" assigned #.

[Geoffrey Goldberg]

Is the car you saw a LHDor RHD? Typically, the odd numbers were RHD.

[Ed Levin]

RHD, just as you’d expect for an odd number (and for a South African car).

[walt spak]

Gentlemen,

I again refer to the parts book. There is a page near the front which shows all of the models and the number designations for them. A RHD Sport 1.8 (carburated) is an 815.533. An 815.333 does not exist.

Walt

[Ed Levin]

Thanks, Walt.

In the Marx Brothers’ movie “Horsefeathers”, Chico attempts to persuade Groucho to ignore some visual evidence by asking the classic question, “Who ya gonna believe–me or your own eyes?”

I’ve personally seen (and photographed) the chassis plate which is very clearly stamped “815.333.001532”. I’m currently in contact with the owner to try to authorize removing enough paint to check the cowl stamping, just to make sure that the chassis plate wasn’t misstamped. At the moment , though, I’m not prepared to treat the parts catalogue as definitively ruling out the possibility that 815.333 does exist as a South Africa-only chassis type. If the cowl stamp reads “815.533.001532”, we have our answer. If the cowl stamp does confirm the chassis plate, well, who’re ya gonna believe?

[Geoffrey Goldberg]

Ed -

The problem with arguing with Walt about this stuff is he's usually right. Its a problem.

But then again, the facts might just speak differently, and we can all chip in and buy Walt a (revised) parts book, so everyone can be happy.

Cheers to Groucho.

[Ed Levin]

Thanks for that, Geoff.

Although I'm reasonably sure he wasn't specifically referring to the Flavia parts catalogue (revised or otherwise), Groucho did address the subject of books:

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend;
Inside a dog, it's too dark to read.

I'm hoping that the cowl stamp will clear thing up. Assuming, of course, it's not too dark to read...

[walt spak]

Ed,

Marks Brothers aside and in deference to Goldberg, I am frequently wrong. I am curious about what you find on the cowling. One possable explaination is that the serial number plate is a reproduction that was put on when the car was painted. It is far more likely that a body shop stamped it wrong than did the factory. Mike Space's father imported a RHD Flavia PF Coupe from South Africa and I believe it had a normal RHD serial number.

Walt