The first Lancia designed entirely by the Turin company's new technical supreme, Professor Antonio Fessia, the Flaminia was the flagship of the Lancia range when launched in 1957. The initial four-door Berlina, with mold-breaking Pininfarina styling, evolved from the Florida show cars, combining the best of American trends with the ultimate in high class European engineering and good taste. Though a few early cars had drums, Lancia soon adopted the latest Dunlop disc brakes, mounted inboard at the rear, adding to the Flaminia's reputation as a highly agile saloon.
This Pininfarina two-door coupe Flaminia (actually built as well as styled by Pininfarina) was constructed in steel on a slightly shorter wheelbase than the saloon. The general lines of the Coupe announced at Turin in 1957 were developed from the "Florida II" show car of that same year, a styling landmark that was the favored personal transport of Battista Pininfarina, founder of the company. The Flaminia Coupe benefited from a more powerful 128 bhp version of the V6 engine, having a higher compression ratio and revised valve timing. Despite a formidable weight of 3602 lbs ready for the road, the British journal "Autocar" recorded a top speed of 107 mph in their 22 July 1960 test coupe before it, had superb steering and exceptional roadholding on its Michelin radial tires. Coupes came with cloth or leather trim - this car has the latter, in a stylish tobacco color - with a handsome padded-top dash dominated by two bold instruments indicating engine revolutions and speed, minor gauges being contained within the rev-counter.
Regarded by many as the best all-rounder of the Flaminia family, the Pininfarina coupe was the best selling of the range too; a total of 5,282 Coupes were built before production ended in 1967.
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| Vehicle: | 1962 Lancia Flaminia 2.5 |
On 16 May 1996, this coupe sold at the Christie’s Geneva auction for $15,650. Stylish enough, and described by some as a “baby Ferrari PF Coupe,” this Lancia, like all Lancias, have a limited market appeal. The most desirable Flaminia coupe variant is equipped with the three-carburetor, 2.8-liter engine and coachwork by Touring, with a best in the world example capable of breaking the $20,000 level. This 2.5-liter Pininfarina example, although a bargain in terms of pedigree and performance, was sold at market price. – ED.