Lancia Flaminia GT 2,5 3C Double Bubble Coupe by Zagato
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Car producer : |
Lancia |
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Model: |
Flaminia GT 2,5 3C Double Bubble Coupe by Zagato |
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Year: |
1957-1965 |
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Type: |
Coupe |
The Lancia Flaminia (Tipo 813/823/824/826) is a luxury car from the Italian automaker, Lancia, built from 1957 to 1970. It was Lancia's flagship model at that time, replacing the Aurelia. It was available throughout its lifetime as saloon, coupé and cabriolet. The Flaminia coupé and convertible were coachbuilt cars with bodies from several prestigious Italian coachbuilders. Four "presidential" stretched limousine Flaminias were produced by Pininfarina for use on state occasions.
There were 12,633 Flaminias sold over 13 years. Coupés outsold the four-door saloon, an unusual occurrence otherwise seen at the time only in American compact and midsize models whose coupe versions were standard factory models that cost the same or less than the sedan, while the Flaminia coupes' coachbuilt bodies made them considerably more expensive than the limousine-like Berlina.
Carrozzeria Touring designed and built these aluminum bodied two-door versions, which can be easily distinguished by their four round headlights (rather than two on Pininfarina Flaminias), and a shorter cabin - the wheelbase was decreased significantly for the GT and Convertible, allowing for only two seats to be mounted. The GT was a coupé, while the Convertible was obviously a cabriolet version (with optional hardtop). The GTL, introduced in 1962, was a 2+2 version of the GT with a slightly longer wheelbase. The Convertible was in production until 1964, with 847 made in total (180 with the 2.8), while the GT and GTL lasted until 1965, with 1718 GTs and 300 GTLs made (out of which, 168 GTs and 297 GTLs with the 2.8).
Just 99 examples of the first Flaminia Sport with covered headlamps were constructed before the design was modified, and these earliest Sports remain the rarest and perhaps most sought-after of the three versions that were built before production ended in 1967.
Over the course of a production life of nine years, there were four series, with five versions built. Initially, the Sport had a 2.5-liter single-carburetor engine, smooth, rounded front and rear ends, and covered headlights. After a year, the front end was revised with standing, exposed headlights. In three years, 205 examples were sold. The year 1962 saw the introduction of a three-carburetor version, which boosted power from 119–140 horsepower. Aptly named the “3C,” 174 were built before the engine was enlarged in 1963 to 2.8-liters, bringing approximately another 6-10 horsepower. Only 33 of the Sport 3C 2.8 were made before the final, and arguably the most desirable, variant appeared in 1964. The grandly named Flaminia Super Sport 3C 2.8 brought larger Weber 40 DCN 12 carburetors, an output of 152 horsepower, and a restyled body with recessed headlights and a more sharply defined, yet still smooth, Kamm tail.
The Super Sport was produced in 187 examples from 1964 to 1967, and the combination of the revised styling and most powerful engine make this the model of choice for many. The Super Sport also saw some changes - the rear was updated to a Kammback, while the front was made more aerodynamic with distinctive tear-shape headlight casings. Carrozzeria Zagato has been known practically since its founding for designing cars that are either stunningly beautiful, such as the pre-war Alfa Romeo 1750 roadsters, or quirky and challenging to love, such as the early post-war Panoramica cars. Clearly, this Lancia is one of the loveliest faces to come from the renowned Milanese coachworks.
A limited-slip differential was standard equipment and the Flaminia Super Sport was one of the first cars to benefit from servo-assisted disc brakes all round. Lancia's top-of-the-range Gran Turismo, it came very well equipped and was priced at the same level
as a Maserati or Aston Martin. Marcello Mastroianni, Italy's most popular male film star, had his pick of the world's finest cars and he chose a Flaminia Super Sport Zagato. It was a proven design, refined and well equipped, possessing superb performance. It also had sufficient charisma to appeal to an international heartthrob.
