Novi Flaminia
Story and photos by Rick Carey

Looking reasonably well kept, the Flaminia is missing those hard to find hubcaps.

RM’s auction in Novi, Michigan November 15-17 is in the heartland of the American automobile industry. That’s not exactly where Lancia Flaminia GTs are expected to show up, yet here, in the midst of Corvettes, Lincolns, Plymouths and Packards, it was. First spotted sitting in a corner by the check-in door a glimpse under the hood suggested why it was in Purgatory. There was no ID plate on the firewall for the VIN-checkers to verify. Its billing as a "Lancia Superleggera" instead of its correct identification as a Flaminia 2.8 GT 3C wasn’t surprising. In the absence of Lancia’s chassis tag, Carrozzeria Touring’s Superleggera construction logo is the only one, other than the Lancia nose badge, on the car.

They eventually decided the chassis number was 8261401145 and the engine number was definitely 8281001352.

It was in pretty good overall condition and mostly original. The interior seat coverings were surface cracked but sound and it had been repainted at some time. The dashboard, instruments and interior trim showed their age but no undue deterioration. The alloy wheels had no hubcaps and some exterior trim chrome was pitted. A Nardi woodrim steering wheel looked good and surprisingly inside the trunk were two additional wheels, the matching alloy spare and the original Lancia steering wheel. The engine and underhood presentation were clean, orderly and original having avoided an assault by the dreaded spray can of "engine black" paint. The odometer showed 69,865 kilometers, realistic for the Lancia’s condition. It ran well on its way to the block, too.

The interior showed age and mileage but appeared in good condition.

The sills and wheel arches, however, had been crudely touched up with silver paint, suggesting that a few excursions on Michigan’s winter highways had let road salt and water seep between the aluminum skin and steel tubing armature of Touring’s lovely body, forming anodes and cathodes and sacrificing the aluminum to generate free electrons. It was bought for $9,964 including RM’s 6% buyer’s commission. 145 horsepower V6, transaxle, deDion rear suspension, limited slip differential and pretty Touring coachwork compare well with contemporary Alfas which lately have been bringing much, much more money in comparable condition.

You just never know when something like this will turn up under the radar.

RM’s auction was a resounding success, selling 65% of the cars that crossed the block and ringing up $5,972,689 in total sales including buyer’s commissions.