Top Gear Says Lancia Is The Best Automaker. Ever.
Ok, that’s not an exact quote, but Episode 3, which aired last night, was the best of Season 14 thus far. If you haven’t seen it yet, go here and enjoy it. Am I the only one who noticed the increasing friction between Jeremy and James? If looks could kill, Jeremy would be deader than John Candy.
The episode feature saw Jezza and the Hamster testing Lancia’s notoriously poor reliability record in an endurance race before thrashing a Stratos and a Delta Integrale along UK’s stunning and picturesque coastal B-roads. The cinematography was its usual high-calibre and the banter was its equal.
This summer, I also had a Lancia experience. It’s below.
Down on the Viennese streets, not far from where we saw the SLR Roadster, an arrow-straight Lancia 2000 HF. Strangely, this seemed to be missing the chrome grille surround that is frequently seen on these. I didn’t think much of it as I walked past, but leave it to the architect I was travelling with to give me pause and hand me a camera.
Just in case you have a newly-developed hankering for some Lancia lovin’, we’ve beat you to it and we’re more than happy to share. Check out this Zagato-bodied Lancia Fulvia on eBay, not unlike the one Stirling saw at the Italia Concours d’Elegance. You just know a car company is special when they can make a car that’s so engrossingly polarizing.
My picks for best automaker were Citroën (pre-1974) because of the Traction Avant, DS, SM, H Van, and 2CV and Datsun/Nissan because of the 510, Z-cars and the several generations of GT-Rs. But that was before Top Gear reminded me of Lancia.
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4 Comments
Car you show is a last model Beta Coupe series 3.
Per original.
*It is not a 2000HF. That car is a rare Flavia Coupe, called correctly the 2000HF.
Flat 4 engine , i think injected, delight to drive in an old fashioned way.
I don't own one,pity.
Zagato Fulvia is per comments, very sporty and only gets into it's stride over 70mph , no real engine noise except a whine.
Looks to die for , Flavia Zagato my dream car!
Cas Willoughby Australia.
you obviously know completely nothing about lancias!!!!!!! i have been working on lancias for over 20 years!!!!! and the lancia featured in the picture is a beta is a 2000 ie lancia made them from 1982 to 1984 and its not a flat four but a fiat inline four but angeled at 45 degree unlike the same engine in the fiat where it sits straight up in the air. i know this as i own a 2000 ie also a 2000 vx (volumex) which is standard super charger.
Craig,
don't be so rude.
Yes you are right.
I was working on to posts at the same time, the other with the Flavia coupe, got my reply mixed.
As i said,
"Zagato Fulvia is per comments, very sporty and only gets into it's stride over 70mph , no real engine noise except a slight whine.
Looks to die for , Flavia Zagato my dream car! "
You disagree?
I have one of each series Flavia sedan and a 1.3S and have rebuilt the engines.
Settle , we are not playing for sheep stations!
I have always loved Lancias… I have owned many, and worked on them professionally for years. Wish they were in the states now! I also loved (and hated) the Top Gear episode. I don't believe Lancias were as bad as they were saying.