1964 Lancia Flavia Sport

Alternate terms for these quirky cars are \"full of personality,\" \"individualistic,\" and various other ways you’d go about describing a blind date

by Thor Thorson

When the Lancia Flavia was first presented to the public at the Turin Motor Show of 1960, most people were amazed at its unconventional layout. Developed by the gifted engineer Antonio Fessia, it was the first Italian car to employ a horizontally fitted engine, a 90-hp, 1.5-liter, four-cylinder driving the front wheels. The Flavia Sport was a 2+2 coupe that carried aluminum coachwork by Zagato, one of Italy’s most influential, important and mythical design studios. The young designer Ercole Spada created the unusual and aerodynamic shape of the Flavia Sport by using concave and rounded surfaces and an angled grille. Due to its lightweight body, it was easily capable of exceeding 100 mph and was highly successful in both rally and endurance racing. Indeed, the most important victory of this special model was achieved by René Trautmann in the 1965 Coupe des Alpes. The Lancia Flavia Sport on offer here was ordered by the famous French rally driver in January...