The Lancia Flaminia (Tipo 813/823/824/826) was a luxury car made by the Italian company Lancia between 1957 and 1970. It was Lancia's most important model during that time, replacing the earlier Aurelia. The car was sold in different styles, including saloon, coupé, and cabriolet. The Flaminia coupé and cabriolet had bodies built by several respected Italian coachbuilders. Four special stretched limousines, called "presidential" models, were created by Pininfarina for use during official state visits.

A total of 12,633 Flaminia cars were sold during its 13-year production period. The coupé sold more than the four-door saloon, which was unusual, especially since the coupé’s coachbuilt design made it more expensive than the saloon. After a seven-year break, the Flaminia was replaced by the Gamma as Lancia's new flagship model in 1976.

Name

The Flaminia was named after the Via Flaminia, the road that led from Rome to Ariminum (Rimini). This followed Lancia's long-standing tradition of naming car models after Roman roads.

Development

The Flaminia's chassis was an improvement over the Aurelia's, with major upgrades. The front suspension was changed to a more traditional setup that included double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar. The rear suspension kept the De Dion system, with a transaxle attached at the rear, as seen in the Aurelia. The first Berlina model was available with either drum brakes or disc brakes, while all other models used disc brakes only. These cars used Pirelli Cinturato 165H400 CA67 radial tire technology.

The original two body styles of the Flaminia were created by the Italian design company Pinin Farina. These designs were based on two special cars made for a motor show, also created by Pinin Farina, called Florida. The Florida I was shown at the 1955 Turin Auto Show and was a saloon with rear suicide doors. The Florida II was shown a year later at the Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva and was a 2-door coupé, which became Battista Farina's favorite car. The production version of the Flaminia was introduced in 1957.

The car was designed by Battista Farina, who later used this design as the basis for BMC Farina models, including the Austin Westminster, which was the BMC car most similar in size to the Lancia Flaminia.

Engines

The Flaminia's engine was an improved version of the world's first production V6 engine, which was first used in the Aurelia. The engine had a larger bore and a shorter stroke. The engines were placed lengthwise in the car, sending power to the rear wheels through a 4-speed transaxle located at the back. In 1962, a version with a larger engine size was introduced.

Body styles

The Flaminia Berlina prototype was shown publicly at the Turin Auto Show in March 1957. It had Florida-inspired suicide rear doors that opened in the opposite direction of the front doors, unlike the production version. The four-door version of the car was called "Berlina," an Italian word for this body style. Designed by Pininfarina and based on the Florida I prototype, this was the only body style built directly by Lancia. It was also the only style produced throughout the entire production period. A total of 3,344 cars were built with a 2.5 L engine, and an additional 599 with a 2.8 L V6 engine. These cars were assembled at Lancia’s old factory in Borgo San Paolo, making it the last model built there.

The Coupé was also designed by Pininfarina but was built by a specialist car builder, not at a Lancia factory. It closely resembled the Florida II prototype and had a 2+2 seating layout. Like all two-door versions, the Coupé had a shorter wheelbase compared to the Berlina. The front of the Coupé was similar to the Berlina, but its headlights had completely round frames, while the Berlina’s frames pointed slightly upward. The Coupé also used unusual 175HR400 Pirelli Cinturato CA67 millimetric tires. A total of 5,236 cars were built until 1967 (4,151 with the 2.5 L engine and 1,085 with the 2.8 L engine).

The GT, GTL, and Convertibile models were designed and built by Carrozzeria Touring. These models used aluminum for their bodies. They can be easily identified by their four round headlights (instead of two on Pininfarina-designed models) and a shorter cabin. The GT and Convertibile had significantly shorter wheelbases, allowing only two seats. The GTL, introduced in 1962, was a 2+2 version of the GT with a slightly longer wheelbase. The Convertibile was produced until 1964, with 847 total cars made (180 with the 2.8 L engine). The GT and GTL were produced until 1965, with 1,718 GTs and 300 GTLs built (168 GTs and 297 GTLs with the 2.8 L engine).

The Sport model was designed and built by Italian coach builder Zagato. It was a two-seater coupé with the same shorter wheelbase as the GT. It had a unique rounded aluminum body with pop-out handles. It appeared in the Ian Fleming novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The Super Sport replaced the Sport in 1964 with a new 2.8 L 152 CV engine. Early Sport models had covered headlights, later changed to round ones. The Super Sport had updated features, including a Kammback rear design and more aerodynamic tear-shaped headlights. Between 1960 and 1967, 593 Sport and Super Sport models were built (99 with covered headlights, 344 Sports, and 150 Supersports).

• Front of Flaminia Sport Zagato, first series (note covered headlights)
• Front of Flaminia Sport Zagato, second series (1960)
• Rear of Flaminia Sport Zagato, second series (1963)
• Front of Flaminia Super Sport Zagato (1964)
• Rear of Flaminia Super Sport Zagato (1965)

One-offs and special editions

In 1960, Queen Elizabeth II announced her visit to Italy. At that time, President Giovanni Gronchi asked Pininfarina to build four extended Lancia Flaminia limousines to support the visit and update the older presidential car fleet. The cars were completed in just six months between 1960 and 1961, following detailed plans and with help from General Motors for special features.

Each car had a seven-seat landaulet body style, painted dark blue with black Connolly Leather seats, a Voxson radio, and Pirelli tires. They were first used in Turin for the celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of Italy’s unification and later for Queen Elizabeth II’s state visit.

This model was officially named the Flaminia 335, named for its 335 cm (131.9 in) wheelbase. It is also called Presidenziale or Quirinale, after the Quirinal Palace, where the Italian president lives. The four cars were named Belsito, Belmonte, Belvedere, and Belfiore.

All four cars still exist today. They were restored by Fiat Auto in 2001. Two are displayed in museums: one was donated to the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, and another is at the Museo Storico della Motorizzazione Militare with other retired presidential cars. The other two remain in use for important events, such as the Republic Day parade or presidential inaugurations. Some people claimed a fifth 335 was given to the Queen, but this is not confirmed.

The Coupé Speciale was introduced at the 1963 Turin Motor Show, designed by Tom Tjaarda of Pininfarina. It was based on the Flaminia coupé and used a 2.8-liter triple carburetor engine. The car had a fastback shape with a steeply sloped rear window and trapezoidal taillights, a design later used in other Tjaarda projects. Initially painted pearl white, it was modified for road use and repainted silver. It was also shown at the 1964 Brussels Motor Show and events in Alassio and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Later, it was repainted champagne color. Battista Farina used the Coupé Speciale as his personal car from 1965 until his death in 1966. It was sold to the president of the American Lancia Club in 1972 and later to a Japanese collector, who repainted it back to its original pearl white color.

• Flaminia Coupé Speciale
• Rear view

The Flaminia Loraymo was designed by American car designer Raymond Loewy and shown at the 1960 Paris Motor Show. It was built by Carrozzeria Motto, an Italian coachbuilder that used aluminum for car bodies. The name Loraymo combines Loewy’s first and last names. The car was based on a Flaminia coupé with a 2.5-liter V6 engine tuned by Nardi to produce 140 hp (142 PS; 104 kW).

Its design included a jet-inspired front, a body shaped like a coke bottle, and a roof-mounted spoiler above the rear window. The large grille, enclosed in chrome and acting as a front bumper, was flanked by fog lamps attached with fins. The front fenders had open ends for better cooling and included built-in wing mirrors. Other advanced features included a rear wraparound window and enclosed wheels. The car was unique and remained in Loewy’s personal collection. After his death, it was restored and donated to Lancia.

• Flaminia Loraymo
• Rear view of the Loraymo