Car Spot: 66 Lancia Fulvia S1

A storied name in rally racing

Italy is famous for its art, wine, food, and rally racing. Bet that last one didn’t come to mind, but it’s been a big part of the country’s heritage since it first started in 1906 with the Targa Florio, which was founded in Sicily and set the stage for grueling, open-road point-to-point racing. Then, in 1921, the Coppa delle Alpi (Alpine Cup) was established and widely considered one of the very first true rally races in Italy.

And what would a blog entry about rally racing in Italy be without mention of the legendary Mille Miglia endurance race, which started in 1927, running a 1,000-mile loop across the country. Two of the most famous brands as the sport moved into the 70s were Alpine, Peugeot, and Lancia. While the Lancia Stratos HF is perhaps the most famous from that manufacturer, this week’s spot, a 66 Fluvia S1, was also successful on the rally circuit.

I couldn’t just walk by this jewel at The Automotive Gallery of Green Bay’s Fiesta Italiana event held last month, owned by local Adam Stone. It was a legendary Italian sports car designed by Piero Castagnero and introduced in 1965 as a 2+2 coupe. He is respected for his advanced engineering. The S1 features a V4 engine, front-wheel drive, and lightweight aluminum body panels, such as the doors, hood, and trunk.

Adam’s example has extensive European and U.S rally experience with performance upgrades that include: 1.3 Liter Engine with 40 DCOE Weber Carbs, 5-speed S2 transmission, 11-1 compression pistons and competition camshafts, 11-inch replica Campagnolo wheels, period roll bal, HF rear suspension, Koni classic shocks, Ferraro Munari two-spoke steering wheel, Lancia HF rallye seats, and tachometer. Lots of fun stuff.

So what would something like this sell for? Let’s start with one in just #4 Fair condition, according to Hagerty, would sell for around 20 grand, in #2 Excellent condition jumps up to just over 50 grand, while one in #1 Concours condition would set you back just over 75 grand. Good luck in finding one like this because they rarely go up for sale.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out this week’s spot. Next week I’m going to take you Trans-Am racing at Road America. Have a great week.