1970 Lancia Fulvia 'Fanalone' 1600 HF Club Italia

During the late 1960s, the wonderfully nimble line of front-wheel drive Lancia Fulvia ‘Hi-Fi’ Coupes reigned consistently amongst the highest echelon of International Rally contenders, driven most prominently by a galaxy of world-class stars.

Originally 1,298cc and 101bhp, these little coupés began to be campaigned by the Lancia factory team in 1966, achieving second place finishes in the Monte Carlo and Three Cities Rallies, the Team Prize in the Rallye dei Fiori, performing brilliantly on the rugged Acropolis Rally in Greece, and even scored circuit racing class wins in both the Targa Florio and the Nürburgring 1,000km classics.

The cars were uprated to 1,440cc and some 120bhp in 1967, taking first and second places in the Spanish Rally and Tour de Corse, second on the Acropolis and sixth in Sweden. In 1968, Pat Moss and Liz Nystrom won the Coupe des Dames in the Monte Carlo Rally and were second at San Remo. Into 1969, 1,600cc engines were developed and Källström/Häggbom won both the San Remo and RAC Rallies, and the cars took another second place in the Monte Carlo classic, sixth in the Swedish Rally and fourth and fifth in the Alpine. Success continued into 1970 when Sandro Munari won the GT category in the Targa Florio, Källström/Häggbom won their second RAC Rally in Great Britain and Lampinen/Davenport won the TAP Rally in Portugal.

The Fulvia 1.6 HF Rallye 'Fanalone' (christened so by Italian enthusiasts due to its larger inner headlights) was a thoroughly thought-out factory-built racing car that tipped the scales at a mere 825kg. With extensive use of aluminium and Plexiglas, Girling disc brakes and Campagnolo alloy wheels set at a negative camber, every aspect of the car represented function over form. Fully prepared for rally competition, this particularly attractive, Club Italia example promises its new owner tremendous fun behind the wheel.

Built for competition, the 1,584cc, DOHC, narrow-angle V4 is fuelled by twin-40mm Webers and a Dyno print-out shows some 143bhp on unleaded fuel at 7,450rpm. The original engine also accompanies the car as do four competition wheels plus four snow-equipped wheels/tyres. It's fitted with a pair of OMP bucket seats and harnesses, Twin-master Rallye GT trip meter, plumbed-in fire extinguisher system, bolt-in roll cage, a competition fuel tank, and a rare 10,000rpm rev counter. The car is finished in period correct Marlboro livery and is described by the vendor as being in very good running order and essentially ready to rally in numerous historic events. Whilst it's been in our vendor's possession, it has been looked after and maintained by respected specialists, Hall & Hall. Supplied with a good history file, including a Steinbacher Report from 2018, the car is currently registered in Austria but will be UK-registered by the time of the sale.

The Fulvia marked Lancia’s glorious and victorious return to motorsport, carving a niche in the rallying scene, paving the way for an era of dominance in the World Rally Championship far from the spotlight hogged by its successors – the Stratos, O37 and Delta Integrale. This beautifully presented 1600 HF is part of that pedigree and we invite and encourage you to come along to the NEC and see this sparkling 'Fanalone' for yourself.