Model history:
The introduction of the Fulvia saloon in 1963 maintained Lancia's unparalleled reputation for innovation in automobile design. The boxily-styled Appia replacement featured an all-new, narrow-angle overhead-camshaft V4 engine; front wheel drive; independent front suspension by double wishbones; and disc brakes all round. A 2+2 coupe on a shorter wheelbase was launched in 1965. Though mechanically similar, the newcomer had all the visual presence its progenitor lacked and came with a 1,216cc engine producing 80bhp. Tuned 'HF' versions provided increased performance, while for the style conscious there was the eye-catching Sport Zagato, characterised by one of the eponymous Milanese carrozzeria's typically lightweight and aerodynamic bodies. The shape was penned by Ercole Spada, arguably Zagato's most important post-war designer, who had forged his reputation for creative brilliance with the iconic Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato of 1960.

Specific history of this car:
In 1964, the Lancia Works team presented the Sport Prototipo Zagato, a unique creation with a lightweight body and numerous weight-saving measures. Its first race was at the 1964 Targa Florio, with Marco Crosina and Fernando Frescobaldi, using race number 184. Unfortunately, the drivers and the car did not see the finish line due to an unplanned off-road excursion during the race. After the Targa Florio entry, the car had a very short racing history due to limited funds; the Works team, instead, decided to race the standard road going Flavia Zagato in the ‘Turismo’ category to try to help the sales of that car. After a few more outings on circuit events, the Sport Prototipo Zagato was left in Lancia’s Reparto Corse and stored for a few years, unused and nearly forgotten. 

It was then, in 1967, that Claudio Maglioli, who was the Italian champion with Lancia in 1965 and 1966, was still racing for the Works team and he came across chassis no. 815538 1001 and immediately negotiated with Sandro Fiorio, head of Lancia's racing department, to purchase the car and any remaining spare parts. Maglioli kept the car in his workshop for 20 years, undertaking a careful and meticulous sympathetic restoration. Small details, such as putting baffles in the sump to avoid oil surge in left hand corners, were made, and the car remained with him until 1991, when he decided to sell the 815538 1001 to the current owner, an avid Lancia collector.

Chassis 815538 1001 had many special features, starting from the light alloy body that was some 220 kilograms lighter, compared to the standard Lancia Flavia Zagato, as well as the shortened wheelbase for better handling. The Sport Prototipo Zagato car has a very aggressive and low slung look with twin air intakes on the bonnet for the long carburettor trumpets to reach and breathe. Also of note are the lower roof line, deleted bumpers and a race specific interior, all to save weight and increase performance. In addition, a more direct steering box was fitted, which gave the car a much better response.

In a test drive and interview with Claudio Maglioli in Italian magazine Ruoteclassiche, he remembers how well the car handled. Maglioli remembers that to drive the car quickly, you had to use the slow-in, fast-out tactic. He reported that with clean racing lines around the corners, this car can be as quick and as effective as most and with a little more support from the Lancia Works team in period, it would have gone on to be one of the more successful race cars in Lancia’s history. The example offered here, by its second owner, remains relatively untouched and original, with only light preservation work by its first owner, a Works driver. This unique Zagato bodied competition car is a one-off piece of Lancia history and is ready to be shown or used on rallies and events.

This prototype can only be seen as a true jewel for any serious Lancia collector. The car comes with a comprehensive history file as well as FIVA identity card in the class A1.