One to Buy: ex-works 1971 Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF (SOLD)
Lancia’s ambitious motor sport programme of the early 1950s had seen the company compete in both top flight sports car racing and Formula 1. However, money problems saw the financially stretched Lancia family pull the plug soon after the death of star driver Alberto Ascari in May 1955.
Scuderia Lancia’s assets were sold to Enzo Ferrari who went on to race the promising D50 F1 car for the next couple of seasons.
Meanwhile, in 1956 the Pesenti family took control of Lancia.
The best part of a decade then passed until Lancia returned to motor sport; 1965 saw HF Squadra Corse (which had originally started out as a privateer racing team founded by Lancia enthusiasts) become the official works team under the management of Cesare Fiorio.
Various High Fidelity iterations of the front-wheel drive Fulvia Coupe were subsequently produced and Lancia went on to win the Italian Rally Championship every year bar one between 1965 and 1973.
In 1972, the Fulvia won the International Championship for Manufacturers which was the precursor to the inaugural 1973 World Rally Championship. By this time, the Lancia motor company had been sold to another new owner: the Fiat Group.
Currently on offer at The Hairpin Company in Compton Basset, Wiltshire, is one of Lancia’s works Fulvias from the company’s successful 1971 campaign.
Chassis 2263 was used in five events that season. It picked up a brace of outright wins in its final two outings (at the Rally Alpi Orientali and Rallye Medio Adriatico) plus a class win (and third overall) on the Rally 4 Regioni. The car’s other two appearances saw it fail to finish the Rally d’ Italia and bag sixth on the Rallly 999 Minuti. 2263’s driver roster included Harry Kallstrom, Simo Lampinen and Sergio Barbasio.
Today the car is offered in excellent condition with an FIA HTP valid until the end of 2026.
Reprinted below in The Hairpin Company’s description for this wonderful ex-works Fulvia HF:
The Fulvia model was a great success for Lancia with 161,832 examples being sold between 1965 and 1976, much of this can be attributed to the model’s great competition success. The Fulvia was seen as the driver’s choice by the aspiring motorist and fast pace rally development translated into a rapid evolution of the production model with ever more powerful engines and sporting trim. The Fulvia, now seen as a much-loved rallying icon had one of the longest life spans of any modern rallying car from its arrival in 1965 to its eventual demise in 1974. Appropriately, it took the might of the legendary Lancia Stratos to supplant it and today the little Fulvia continues to excel in historic events.
It all began back in 1963 when Lancia launched the Fulvia saloon. Advanced for its time with a 1091cc V4 engine with double overhead camshaft, front wheel drive, disc brakes all round and independent front wish bone suspension. Even then the ingredients for rallying were there and then in 1965 two important events occurred. Firstly, in March, Lancia launched a short wheel base coupe version of the Fulvia with an enlarged 80hp 1216c engine and a weight reduction from 1,030kg to 950kg. Shortly afterwards the firm officially returned to racing, the HF Squadra Corse becoming the Lancia Reparta Corse, housed in a devoted workshop at the factory and headed by Cesare Fiorio.
The Fulvia racing debut was the Tour of Corsica on November 7th, the car finished eighth and was actually the prototype of the HF model with 10hp extra and weight down to 780kg, thanks to aluminium opening panels, stripped interior and Perspex windows. The Monte Carlo Rally in January showed promise with four finishing in the top ten, a month later the Fulvia’s first victory was secured in the Rally of The Flowers.
A relentless development programme was essential to remain competitive in world rallying and this was something Lancia were particularly good at. Over the next few years work continued apace, many successes followed and in 1971 the Fulvia reached its zenith with the launch of the 1.6HF boasting a remarkable 160hp at 7,200 rpm, thanks to Weber 45 carbs. With a (dry) kerb weight of just 850kg, the 1.6HF model proved to the ultimate iteration of the Lancia Fulvia Coupe.
This Fulvia (chassis 2263) is one of these highly desirable 1971 specification 1.6HF competition cars that was campaigned throughout the year by Lancia. 2263 was first registered on the 1st January with the works number T0 D73047 and was entered as a works car for five events during the 1971 season as detailed and documented in documentation on file from Lancia, the Automobile Club D’Italia and many specialist marque texts and websites.
14. 3. – 17. 3. 1971 – RET: Rally d’Italia (Int. championship for manufacturers) - Simo Lampinen (Fin) & John Davenport (GBR). Suspension damage. #9. Raced with numberplate: TO D73047
24.4. – 25. 4. 1971 – 6th: Rally 999 Minuti - Harry Källström (SWE) & Gunnar Häggbom (SWE). Raced with numberplate: TO E51663
3.6. – 5. 6. 1971- 3rd Overall. 1st Class 4/2: Rally 4 Regioni (Mitroa Rally Cup) - Sergio Barbasio (ITA) & Piero Sodano (ITA).
26.6. – 27. 6. 1971 - 1st Overall: Rally Alpi Orientali (Mitroa Rally Cup) - Sergio Barbasio (ITA) & Piero Sodano (ITA). Raced with numberplate: TO E51663.
26.9. 1971 - 1st Overall: Rally Medio Adriatico (Mitroa Rally Cup) - Sergio Barbasio (ITA) & Piero Sodano (ITA)
The Fulvia remained in Italy once retired from official duties retaining the number plate TO Y68003 until very recently. It was used again for rallying from September 1982 when the Automobile Club D’Italia registered the car to Mrs Caterina Barbieri in Turin. She retained ownership until 1997 when it was bought by Umberto Genovese who registered the Fulvia in Treviso and retained it until 2014. This information is documented in correspondence, registration documentation and Automobile Storico Italiano certificates all on file.
The car was then bought by the late John Hughes, a serial entrepreneur well known in historic racing as a competitor, significant collector and in his role as President of FIA Historic. John had been looking for a great Fulvia Works Competition car to join the other Works Rally Lancia in his collection for years but sadly most of the examples unearthed did not pass muster upon inspection. This example did and following purchase in 2016 it was prepared for the 2017 Monte Carlo Classic Rally. John very much enjoyed the event with his trusted long term co-driver Emanuelle Baldaccini and the Fulvia performed superbly.
Following John’s sad passing in 2017 we were approached to purchase some of his fine and varied collection of road and rally cars. This took some time to complete and we finally offered the Fulvia for sale in 2019. Not surprisingly it quickly found a new home with a Lancia enthusiast where it joined several significant models from the marque. Following purchase, the Fulvia was sent to the highly regarded Dutch Lancia specialist Vere Lancia for a full evaluation and sympathetic restoration. Invoicing on file details the work completed which amounted to €80,000.
Today this Works Fulvia 1.6 HF is in the best condition, fully sorted and in great order in all respects with a lovely settled in patina, so rare in a competition car, witness the gentle fading to the original cord bucket seats and light patination of the dash and rally wheel. It is now ready to continue its competition career in a new enthusiasts hands and has the all-important FIA Historic Technical Passport valid to the end of 2026.
