International Lancia Forums

Wauw

Wow is right. When I bought my '58 berlina the seller thought that it was one of very few in the U.S.. I've been amused by how many I've seen since then. Quite a collection of Flaminias there. I wonder how many of them were put out of business by brake problems.

"Classic Driver dealer Stephen Serio of Aston Martin of New England, Lotus Motorsports, Inc. is handling enquiries on behalf of the reclusive owner who might, just might, sell them."

translation: Serio took the pictures and posted them online without the owner's knowledge or permission. And the owner is none too pleased about it, as the cars are not for sale. So the owner has expressed no interest at all in having Serio "handle enquiries" for him. However, Serio hopes that if someone offers enough money for something, maybe he can cajole the owner into taking the offer (less a "finder's fee", I imagine).

In other words, it's a great stash of Lancias, But as a "great barn find opportunity--enquire within" there's far less here than meets the eye.

Many, many Flaminia Berlinas came to the United States. There is even an open field, in an unspecified location, where you could find 15 of them lined up, even today. These were not all rare cars in the US, but most of them seem to have been operational for only a short period of time. Many also had the saxomat, which was lethal, and seemed to put the cars off the road permanently in less than 15,000 miles.

I bought a perfect mostly-unused dark brown almost black Porsche 911G with 1 optional feature...the Saxomat Trans - in S'gart; within a few miles of the factory . The Gent selling it told me "my late-wife never left the city in it; she took her Benz SL & always drove the Porsche in 2d gear.
I assumed it was driven backwards a few times as well. I do remember falling in love with it & thought "this car cost only a bit more than a case of beer; so I will keep it ! Which I didn't...how dumb !
There was no racing with it & no jack-rabbit starts...but it wasa ton of fun to potter around in (actuly, the accelleration was quite spiffy!) & yes, around town 2d gear (of 3 forward) was all that was needed.
It is probably still somewhere in the SE USA, making someone happy.
I wish I had it today !
The shiny metallic blue Ro80 Saxomat I had been presented as a Company Car a few years earlier made me happy too; since it was free, wierd, comfortable & fast enough for my needs !

No one had told me that I had to take my right-hand off the gearshift-knob to acheive any vehicular forward or rearward motion....which made for an interesting 1st few days in city traffic... until a small light went on in my smaller brain...I never told anyone back at the Hq's !
The same story again & again...[i]the newest guy always gets the best car[/i] !; The one no one else would drive !
The other guys had Ford Pintos,,,,ha ha, what fools ! A few yrs later they graduated to K-Cars,,, with A/C even !

My NSU had no A/C, but a eletcric-sunroof.

Ha Ha, I didn't want to give the NSU back ... so I took it with me when I left the Company (another case of beer price is what I paid).
I used it as a family car for some years. I'd like to have it back now too !
No problems with anything ever !

The guitar is a newerish looking Ibanez - Discount-Store Fender Strato copy ,,, still, in the right hands & with a good Amp....it could make some pretty sweet music...to a every day listener with tinnitis B)-.

Pete Townsend anyone ?

I wonder if the Lancia-Fleet owner is really angry...or if this is a ploy to pike interest ? If so, great for all involved !

>Of the vehicles shown, I could afford........one or both of the shopping carts, with or without the guitar !

I once bought a perfect mostly-unused dark-brown almost-black Porsche 911G, about 8yrs old, with few optional features ... the 'main-feature' was the Saxomat Trans - in S'gart; within a few miles of the factory . The Gent selling it told me "my late ex-wife never left the city in it; she took her Benz SL automatic for those trips. She always drove the 911 in 2d gear, since it covered all situations in the city. I assumed it was driven in reverse a few times as well".

I remember falling in love with it & thought "this car will cost me only a bit more than a beer; so I will buy & I will keep it ! Which I didn't...how dumb ! I sold it (that was my business in those days) to a friend in the USA !

There was certainly no racing with it & no jack-rabbit starts...it was a ton of fun to potter around in, looking racey but 'cruising' cpmfortably. Actually, the acceleration was quite spiffy! & yes, around town 2d gear (of 3 forward) was all that was needed, although it didn't complain in 3d either. If my memory serves me well, it was a 150PS Model.
It is probably still in the SE USA, making someone happy. I wish I had it today !

The shiny metallic blue Ro80 Saxomat I had been presented with as a Company Car* a few years earlier made me happy too; since it was free, weird, comfortable & fast enough for my needs !

No one had told me that I had to take my right-hand off the gearshift-knob to acheive any vehicular forward or rearward motion....which made for an interesting 1st few days in city traffic... until a small light went on in my smaller brain ... I never told anyone back at the Hq's about the problems I experienced at traffic lights !
*The same story again & again...[i]the newest guy always gets the best car[/i] !; The one no one else would drive ! The other guys had Ford Pintos,,,,ha ha, what fools ! A few yrs later they graduated to K-Cars,,, with A/C even !

My Ro80 had no A/C, but a electric-sunroof & Porsche style Fuchs wheels !
Ha Ha, I didn't want to give the Ro80 back ... so I took it with me when I left the company (another beer is what I again paid)...in fact, I took 2 other (smaller) NSU as well, since the NSU dealership next to my new office was closing (as was NSU) & they wanted to get all the laffovers cleared out. Those 2 cars did not have saxomats nor A/C

One of the leftover laffovers was a US Spec rear engined NSU, that I gave to my brother as his company car...he was the new guy ! A few weeks later it was stolen & he got a Peugeot 204 Coupe, which was a lovely little car!
I drove a small NSU 1000C myself as my daily-driver & carry-dogs-car, while my wife drove the Ro80, which the dogs never entered !!
My brother then bought a 6 yr old Porsche 912 (non-Saxomat) against everyone advice, which no one stole ! A few months later the front seats fell through the floor & the roof sagged in the center, while the car was parked ! Lucky Michael ! We took the good items off of it & parked the rest in a neighboring-field; filling the interior with dirt & planting flowers in it ! It may still be there !
We used the R080 as a family car for some years. I'd like to have it back now too ! No problems with anything ever, but we babied it !

The guitar is a newerish-looking Ibanez - a Discount-Store Strato-Copy, also costing about a beer ,,, still, in the right hands & with a good Amp....it could make some pretty sweet music, the Guitar, not the beer - at least to a everyday listener with tinnitis B)-. Pete Townsend anyone ?

I wonder if the Lancia-Fleet owner is really angry...or if this all is a ploy to pike-interest ? If so, great for all involved !

Of the vehicles shown, I could afford........one or both of the shopping carts, with or without the guitar !

good find Phil; have you bought your plain(brownenvelope)ticket yet ?

Any chance for a picture of the line-up? Love the classical graveyard pics!

That's a really unfortunate story, concerning their short operational period. But I suppose Flaminias were too demanding of maintenance for American owners even in the late 50s/early 60s. Mine came to me with a odometer reading 36K miles with an engine in a condition that suggested the mileage was correct but a transaxle with some weirdly corroded bits on the inside, including a few bearings. I figure it was in a flood. Once its issues were sorted I've found it to be a fairly untemperamental car. I don't have the Saxomat, however. I also don't have the fiddly disc brake system on this particular car. I'm guessing that the special oil and boots necessary for the original Aurelia-type pot joints might have sidelined some of the cars prematurely. And maybe they were just too slow.