International Lancia Forums

Torben, you asked about whether a buyer's guide exists for the Fulvia.

The closest thing I know is Wim Weernink's "Lancia Fulvia and Flavia: a collector's guide" (Motor Racing Publications, LTD, orig. published 1984), which provides a wealth of photos and text on the various iterations of the Fulvia, and which has pretty decent technical specs for each model in the appendix.

Also, one of the British classic car magazines (either Thoroughbred & Classics or Classic Car) did a good buyer's feature on the Fulvia sometime back in 2005.

I'll echo the advice in the messages above: that all Fulvias are superb sporting vehicles and that you think about how you want to use the car before settling on a particular model.

In three years of ownership, I've got around 35,000 miles on my '67 Coupe Rallye 1.3; 30,000 miles of "daily driver" motoring and about 5000 miles on sporting events -- mostly classic car fast tours and rallies in Northern California.

For these uses, the "standard" car is ideal: nimble enough on a point-to-point basis to keep up with (and/or pass) anything else on a rally, unusual and well-regarded enough to be welcome at almost any classic car event, and comfortable and quiet enough to allow for 400+ mile fast runs without ending in paralysis, deafness or divorce (on those rallies where my wife co-drives).

But I'd love to make room in my garage for an HF as well. The notion of having the Fulvia's virtues enhanced by "adding lightness" is very attractive. It would be just the ticket for one day events in the Sierras.

Good luck with your search!

Shaun Pond
1967 Lancia Coupe Rallye 1.3

I agree with the previous posts, that each model of the Fulvia has its own special virtues. A few years ago I owned a 2c Berlina and it filled the bill perfectly for transporting my young family, to events, around Australia. I have owned other 1st and 2nd series models and I have found each of these superior for "normal" driving and easier to live with, than my current HF Fanalone. However, saying that, I love the performance of the HF and a recent track day, confirmed that the Lancia engineers certainly got it right, all those years ago. Horses for courses I guess.

"Road Burner" wrote:
>
> To spend 3x or 4x or 5x more for a Fulvia just because it is
> (buyer beware) an HF , to spend (waste) so much hard earned
> money for a car that should never be selling (are they really
> being sold at those prices ? or just being speculated on ? I
> I suspect the latter) / should never be offered at prices
> anywhere near the prices I've read above, is just so much
> B.S. that now you know why I had to clean up the
> 'strong-language' written in my 1st 2 efforts. ...
> Finnicky means 'troubling trouble'.
> Buying / driving / owning an HF sounds like that to me,
> regardless of "real value".
> Therefore, the Judge & Jury award the case to the 5 jurors
> who voted to spend less, worry less, have just as much (or
> more) pleasure / fun. .

If this is the "cleaned-up" version, I can only wonder how intemperate and ill-considered the earlier versions must have been. But rather than respond with the derision these silly opinions so richly merit, I will merely pose 2 simple questions:

- Have you ever owned (or even driven) a Fulvia HF?
- If you are so convinced of your opinions as "judge & jury", why are you hiding behind an alias?

Peter,

I'm not sure whether I should simply take the compliment (thank you for that) or apologize for crushing your secret longings.

I happen to love my Fanalone--it truly is a blast to drive, and it never fails to put a smile on my face--but I try not to get delusional about it being the perfect car for every fulvista. Rather, I think that every Fulvia is great in its own way, and I think it's impossible to go wrong with any one of them, as long as you're honest with yourself about what you want in a car. So, if you're not sure you need an HF, you really don't.

My first car, when I graduated 20 years ago was a Fulvia saloon. Over 3 years I did nearly 100k miles in it. I then bought a 1.3 coupe which I also did nearly 100k miles in. Then it was an Integrale, then a Thema Turbo. The best every day car was the Fulvia saloon. By your measure should a saloon owner be dismissive of the coupe owner over his choice, just because the coupe is worth a bit more ? I now have a Fanalone and I do not have to defend my choice, especially to some anonymous individual who has bestowed on themself the knowledge and right to second guess the motives of people, who you don't know, for owning the car they choose.

As to the point about cost and worry - mostly uniformed rubbish. Other than purchase cost (assuming the car is complete), the cost of owning and restoring a Fanalone (or any HF) is exactly the same as any other Fulvia as they are the same basic car, and I speak from experience not bitterness or jealousy.

No, I wood never say anything bad about a Fulcia C'dan. I like them & see that they are still available in a few Euro-Lands at extremly reasonable prices. Their Simpleness of Line will never go out of style. I once owned its Big-Brother - a Lancia 2000 - when I had all my hair! I was thrilled every time I sat itn its comfortable bright red plush interior; more thrilled every time I drove it. So, in thinking Fulvia C'dan, I think:

Lancia 2000, only less of it.

Thank you (all) for the other comments...I wanted to get some "strong & quick feedback", while having a bit of devilish - fun ! It seems that it worked. I didn't really want to step on anyones feet.

Just think "Sam U. L. Clemens" style-humor when you read my above postings. He was the Master, I am
but a poor replica-

PS: My comments many yrs ago about various 911's vs various other 911's vs Renault Alpine, vs 308 Ferrari, vs Corvette usually resulted in similar reactions...which was also the intent, back then.

Having, back then, written for $, I was always trying to increase circulation, w/out becoming overly outlandish. Various Mag' Editor's told me that they had to stop editing my input, because...no matter how hard they tried..., they couldn't make it worse. After a while - back then - I decided to dedicate my time to other endeavors. I was - back then - "Bruno Frascati" 1 month & Larry Lambrusco the next; swapping "ingocnito's" with another writer (always us 2) each month, often picking up on the other guys article of the previous month & rewriting it to say exactly the opposite of what had been said 1 month previously / he sometimes rewriting mine & submitting them as his, to various different "Auto Mags, Rags & Journals",
we managed to make a few coing extra without really working much extra. He retired from his "real job"
as a (reknowned/respected) Historian & I hung up my (writers) heart a few months later.

We were the infamous & irreverent "Driver 1 & Driver 2" of many "road-stories"; where we were totally, viciously & honestly brutal with the truth.......alway hiding behind any names, many names, but (only known to the anointed few) never our names....unless we were being "kind & gentle". Once, for a thrill we gave an entire batch of stories to Ken & Ken, 2 English Prof's & asked them to write "real literature". Soon after that he retired & I quit. What Ken & Ken produced was 1000% better than anything we had ever written,
so it was time to go to work at a real Job! Been flipping Hamburgers ever since !!!

Note: Driver 1's acid wit was usually aimed at Driver 2. Driver 2's "street-boy foul-mouth" (cleaned up for the printed-word) was always aimed at Driver 1 & who ever else, equal rights for all, happened to be within 100 miles.

Oops, the burgers are burning, so i gotta run. Yours in Fun, Road-Roller

Hi Ed, godo to hear from you.

I reply: of course I've never driven an HF ! If I did, I'm sure I'd love the experience.

I'm hiding because I wooden want you two be hangry at me; it izn good for our health.

Also, nuffin against a good HF...I was only asking - in a roun-about-way - are the crazy 'asking' prices justified ? I assume "yes" & I assume "no".

I've driven all the varioations of 911 & like some more than others & rwlazie some will always be worth more than others...but 2.7 RS for over Euro 100k ... thats hard 2 swallow.

But, who knows anything about anything... Citroen 2CV are advertised for 2x the price of a good - roadworthy Fulvia Coupe. Thats enough to make a man cuss, isn't it ?

John aka Road-burner/roller/stroller/...
Sometimes, just sometimes, I think you drink more bottles grappa than you sell...

On topic: owning a S2 berlina and a S2 zagato (momentarily in full body restauration but driven it for 3y), I will sell my soul (poor bastard who get's it) for a 1.3HF or a 1.2HF in amaranto montebello with the Torino striping and the steel cream-colored wheels.




For the fanalone-part: I think there are more Fanalone-skis (fake/replica/bogus) than original ones driving around. It doesn't matter for me, but it's a pitty for the ones who pay top-dollar for a real one and discoveres it's just a fake. And, I'm sorry, 50K € for just bigger lamps?

In France: www.anciennes.net is a 1.3HF for sale for 16.000€.

happy hunting for a real HF!

Bart

Ed, you wrote:

"I'm not sure whether I should simply take the compliment (thank you for that) or apologize for crushing your secret longings."

No apology necessary of course, I suspect both of us have tongues at least partially placed in cheeks!

But you do raise some good points. It's all too easy to optimize some aspects of a car's performance, while degrading others that may be more important for day-to-day use. I'm going through this with my Fiat 124 spider, which now has lowered suspension, big fat tires, stiffer dampers, etc., etc. And it certainly handles very well during hard fast driving ... but I hardly ever use it that way.

In fact, I hardly ever drive it at all these days, because my Fulvia is so much nicer ...

Peter

.....oké.
Torben is now probably looking on some other forum for fear of Fulvia's affecting one's sanity.