Auction Highlight: 1969 Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF Fanalone

Many marques have cemented their place in automotive history through victories in rallying events around the world. As a result of spectators seeing these cars used in anger and beating the competition, these models often find a particularly cherished place in the hearts of enthusiasts, going on to become highly sought-after – both in road-going guise as well as the motorsport variants.

Lancia can count itself as being perhaps the most legendary manufacturer to dominate the sport, especially given that in the World Rally Championship they remain the most statistically successful with 15 titles, despite having withdrawn from campaigning ‘works’ entries more than 30 years ago. The marque’s success rate was thanks not only to the incredibly talented drivers, but also because of the iconic cars which they piloted, such as the Stratos, 037 and the unstoppable Delta.

However, years before the first WRC events, there was another Lancia model to win acclaim in the rallying field - the Fulvia - which won the Italian Rally Championship nearly every year (the exception being 1970) from 1965 to 1973. In the decades since then, the characterful classic sporting coupe has become a popular and highly competitive option for historic race and rally events due to its low weight and lively V4 engine.

In February 2021, an excellent race- and rally-prepared example was brought to market by the Collecting Cars team in the form of this week’s Auction Highlight: a 1969 Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF Fanalone.

Only 1,258 examples of the ‘Fanalone’ Fulvia 1.6 HF were thought to have been built, which were named for their larger inner headlights – with 20 examples of the model raced in period by the Lancia works rally team. This particular car was first registered in December 1969, and began life as a standard road car, remaining with its first owner until 1999, before it was acquired by politician and racer Maxwell Aitken, 3rd Baron Beaverbrook.

Baron Aitken subsequently drove the car in the 1999 Le Centenaire Tour Auto with Gregor Fisken, selling the car on in 2008 to its next owner, who then shipped it to Australia. The seller at the time of the sale had acquired the car in June 2017 and promptly imported it back to the UK, where it was subjected to notable maintenance and refurbishment at Lancia specialist Thornley Kelham.

Presented in a vibrant red finish, adorned with white racing roundels, period sponsorship decals, a matte-black bonnet, and a set of bronze-painted Cromodora wheels; it evoked the look of the 1972 Monte Carlo Rally-winning car driven by Sandro Minari and Mario Mannucci.

Inside, the pared-back cabin had been fitted with a pair of brand-new Corbeau racing seats with red four-point Schroth harnesses and a full roll cage. Further rally-focused upgrades included an Alcantara-trimmed Momo steering wheel, rugged diamond-plate aluminium footwell panels, simplified sheet-metal door cards, and the rear seats were removed to save weight.

This Fulvia 1.6 HF Fanalone had undergone renovation work between 2018 and 2019 by marque specialist Thornley Kelham, which had included a general engine service, new spark plugs and fluids, the installation of the fire extinguisher system and the fitment of the bucket seats. The car was accompanied by its Automobile Club d’Italia homologation papers, and its FIA Historical Technical Passport for racing and rally class GTS20 - which was valid until 21 December 2029.

This characterful 1969 Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF Fanalone remained eligible for FIA-sanctioned competition, and represented a great opportunity for any buyer to acquire a recently refurbished and well-prepared classic rally car – ready for entry into prestigious events including the Tour Auto and Modena Cento Ore. Over the course of the 7-day auction, the car received over 7,000 views, and attracted strong bidding, with the hammer falling at £67,000.

To see more great Lancias sold on the Collecting Cars auction platform, visit our Sold section. You can also keep an eye on Coming Soon and Live Auctions to find more Lancias for sale.