1964 Lancia Flaminia 3C 2800 SS

This car needs someone to sort it out and drive it. When these are right, they make superb vintage rally and tour mounts

by Donald Osborne

Vincenzo Lancia loved automobiles, driving and motoring competition. The delectable machines that flowed from the factory were the expression of his passion. There were many great designs pre-War: the Lambda V4 of the vintage years; the Augusta, Lancia’s first small family car; the nimble little Aprilia of the late 1930’s, a roomy economy saloon with racing standards of handling and cornering power.

The Flaminia was the first Lancia designed by Antonio Fessia and was the flagship of the range when launched in 1957. Fessia had finally broken with tradition and had discarded the vertical-coil independent front suspension in favor of wishbones. The engine was a 2.5-liter V6 driving through an aft-mounted gearbox and DeDion rear axle. In 1964, the 3C version was introduced with a 2.8-liter engine producing 152 bhp. The Flaminia remained in production until 1970.

Without doubt the most attractive coachwork on these chassis was the "Double Bubble" coupe...