Classic Lancia: an engineers’ marque, from the Aurelia to the Thema 8.32
Founded in Turin in 1906, Lancia stood out early: the 1922 Lambda already combined a monocoque body with independent front suspension. Restoring a Lancia means first understanding engineering that often has no equivalent elsewhere:
- Aurelia (1950s), the first production car with a V6 engine, gearbox at the rear; B20 GT coupé and B24 Spider;
- Flaminia (1957–1970), V6-engined, bodied as coupé or convertible by Pininfarina, Touring and Zagato;
- Flavia, front-wheel drive with a flat-four engine and disc brakes on all four wheels;
- Fulvia (1963–1976), front-wheel drive with a narrow-angle twin-cam V4; coupé, Sport Zagato and HF versions, winners of the 1972 Monte Carlo Rally;
- Stratos HF, styled by Bertone, with a mid-mounted Dino V6, world rally champion from 1974 to 1976;
- 037, a rear-wheel-drive Group B car with a supercharged mid-mounted engine, champion in 1983;
- Delta HF 4WD and then Integrale, turbocharged and four-wheel drive, six consecutive world manufacturers’ titles from 1987 to 1992;
- Thema 8.32, a saloon launched in 1986 with a 3-litre, 32-valve V8 of Ferrari origin and a retractable rear spoiler.
What should you check on a classic Lancia?
From the Fulvia to the Delta, rust is the common enemy; it lurks in box sections and beneath old repairs. Points checked before any estimate:
- sills, floor pans, wheel arches and suspension mounting points;
- bulkhead, windscreen and rear-screen surrounds, door bottoms;
- on the Fulvia, the V4, its timing gear, its carburettors and the front-wheel-drive gearbox;
- on the Delta Integrale, the turbo, intercooler, hoses, four-wheel-drive system and wiring loom;
- on the Aurelia and Flaminia, the rear-mounted gearbox, its linkages and the brakes;
- numbers and the parts specific to each version.
How the workshop restores a Lancia
The work starts with an inspection and a line-by-line estimate. If the shell requires it, it is fully stripped: our bodywork and paint team rebuilds the corroded panels while keeping the factory shapes, welds and fit. On a Delta Integrale, the flared arches and model-specific parts are handled with care, as some can be difficult to replace.
Then come the mechanicals, dismantled and measured: the Fulvia’s V4, the V6 of an Aurelia or Flaminia, the Delta’s turbocharged four. The condition recorded forms the basis of the estimate. The overall approach is detailed on our classic car restoration page.
Lancia upholstery: cloth, leather and Alcantara
Lancia always took care over its cabins: the cloth and leather of post-war coupés, the leather and wood of the Thema 8.32, the Alcantara of the last Deltas. Our upholstery is made entirely in-house, true to the original or in a scheme of your choosing; Range Rover seats in leather and Alcantara have been made here.
Stitching, materials and colours are recorded before anything is removed: on a rare car, a sound period interior is kept rather than replaced.
Stratos, 037, Delta: the case of rally Lancias
Their history, their numbers and their specific components make up their value. The workshop documents them before any dismantling, keeps the parts removed and returns those that are replaced. A road car is not turned into a competition replica without your written consent.
Bringing your Lancia to Mougins
Opened in 2017, the Original Classic & Luxury Cars workshop is independent of any manufacturer. Servicing, mechanical work, bodywork, upholstery or full restoration: the same team looks after your Lancia, sends you photographs of the key stages and waits for your go-ahead before any unplanned expense. You speak directly with the director, in English, French, Russian or Arabic.
Lancia shares an Italian culture with Alfa Romeo, and with Ferrari the engines of the Stratos and the Thema 8.32. Transport is arranged on request, and a first estimate can be drawn up from photographs.