Mods and Consequences Lancia Fulvia

Can these sure-footed saloons, sporty coupés and fastback two-seaters be bettered? Absolutely…

The Lancia Fulvia may have made its debut at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show, but it owes much of its development to the arrival of the front-wheel drive Flavia a couple of years earlier. The initial engine choice was the 1098cc, 58bhp, narrow-angle V4, four-door Berlina saloon that was more practical than sporty. Those looking for better performance had to wait until the following year, when a 71bhp twin-carb option was offered.

Sportier models were available from 1965, with the more aerodynamic 2+2 coupé boasting an 80bhp, 1216cc engine and aluminium doors, bonnet and boot lid to help reduce weight. There was plenty of scope for beefing up the power in conjunction with the coupé’s chassis and a number of editions appeared, with its works team HF Squadra Corse-prepared cars achieving international rally success.

Lancia had given up its Formula One ambitions in 1955, so making an impression on the rally scene a decade later greatly boosted the company’s motorsport potential and did no harm to sales for those looking for a sport-approved model. The most successful variant was the 1.6-litre, five-speed gearboxfitted HF, known as the Fanalone ‘ big eyes’, because of its large headlamps.

The ultimate model was the Fulvia Sport – a fastback two-seater built by Zagato, but based on the coupé’s mechanicals. All three variants saw Series 2 developments, but only the coupé made it to a third series in 1976, by which time the Beta range was in production.

The Fulvia enjoys enthusiastic club support, and many owners believe that the standard car is good enough without modification. However, that’s not to say there aren’t things that can be done to improve safety, comfort and efficiency.

’Many owners believe that the standard car is good enough...’