CarBrandLogos archive · Lancia · 1963

LanciaFulvia

A small front-drive saloon with a narrow-angle V4 that went and won the Monte Carlo.

Photo: Tony Harrison from Farnborough, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0

The story

A defining chapter in Lancia history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Lancia Fulvia, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Lancia introduced the Fulvia in 1963 as a compact saloon, and almost nothing about its engineering was conventional. Drive went to the front wheels at a time when few European manufacturers outside Citroen and BMC had committed to the layout. The engine was a narrow-angle V4 with both banks under one head, canted over in the bay, in capacities that grew from 1,091cc to 1,584cc. The front suspension used wishbones and a transverse leaf spring, and disc brakes were fitted all round from the start.

Lancia Fulvia · Späth Chr. · Public domain

Design and engineering

Piero Castagnero styled the Berlina and, in 1965, the Coupe, working at Lancia's own studio. The Coupe is the shape that lasted: short, upright and formal rather than sleek, with a shortened wheelbase and a cabin that sits high in the body. Ercole Spada at Zagato produced a lighter, more aerodynamic fastback sold as the Sport.

Lamcia Fulvia 5M 1972 i · El Caganer · CC BY 2.0

In production

Competition turned it from an interesting small car into a significant one. Lancia's HF squad developed the Coupe steadily, culminating in the 1.6 HF with aluminium panels and a tuned engine. Sandro Munari won the Monte Carlo Rally outright in 1972 in one, and Lancia took the International Championship for Manufacturers that year, beating cars with far more power. The Fulvia's advantage was traction, balance and the fact that it could be driven hard for a full stage without breaking.

Chelsea Auto Legends 2012 · The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0

Legacy

Production ran to 1976 and around 340,000 cars, by which point Fiat had taken control of Lancia and the Beta had arrived. The Stratos, built specifically to replace the Fulvia in rallying, took an entirely different approach to the same job.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Engine

Petrol engine

Body

4-door saloon

Technical specification

The Fulvia, in detail.

Production: 1963–1976
Class: Large family car (D)
Body style: 4-door saloon (Berlina); 2-door coupé (Coupé); 2-door fastback coupé (Sport)
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Engine: Petrol engine; petrol: ; 1,091 cc Lancia V4 engine; Lancia V4 engine; V4 ; 1,199 cc Lancia V4 ; 1,216 cc Lancia V4 ; 1,231 cc Lancia V4 ; 1,298 cc Lancia V4 ; 1,584 cc Lancia V4
Transmission: 4-speed manual; 5-speed manual
Designer: Piero Castagnero at Centro Stile Lancia (Berlina and Coupé); Ercole Spada at Zagato (Sport)
Manufacturer: Lancia