Lancia Motor Club

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330765388724&clk_rvr_id=406007259408

This was up at £12995....now £9995............good value if sound etc?


P

Anybody out there been to see this yet? Looks good value, and a reputable dealer.

Regards
Del

I have spoken but not yet visited.

Nice car with really nice interior although resto is over 10 years old and needs paint by all accounts to make the carnice, but problem is what is under the skin. Has MOT and runs.

Tim

IIRC this is the car that Panorama Bay had for sale for many years in the '90s for what was at the time a very speculative price in the mid-£20ks.  Numberplate at that time was still BS1066 or 1066BS - the BS being for Sir Basil Spence the owner / architect referred to in the current Godin Banks ad; 1066 was for... never mind.

I seem to remember the car popped up online a few years ago (5 or so).  Its owner at the time was documenting his partial restoration efforts.  Perhaps he's on the forum?  

As someone has pointed out, there might well be problems under the skin that possible buyers have spotted.  If that's not the case then I think it is looking like good value at £10k compared to the restored cars that have sold in Europe in the past couple of years (as far as I can tell these have been at E20k or more).  Perhaps there's a lower value for RHD, as Europe doesn't want it; that added to the fact that the UK doesn't really have a market for Flavia Vignales.

The Spence car is missing its correct (and beautifully shaped) front bumper.  Given time and money it should probably be possible to find one eventually, but not that easy a job (unless the consortium has one) and they are big and quite expensive to re-chrome.  I'd put this missing part as a £1k discount before anything else is taken into account.

As an owner of one of these cars I'm surprised at how little they are appreciated.  Not only are they an amazingly modern to drive and versatile car, completely suitable for everyday use in the middle months of the year, but they also attract lots of interest and admiration while you do so.  Lay people 'get' them; they have some glamour.  

For what it's worth, the original vinyl interiors are very hard wearing and suitable for the odd drop of rain and even use by suitable dogs: leather would be less practical, but I don't imagine many prospective buyers for the Godin Banks car would consider it less desirable...

(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5343150974_c1006c2bfb_z.jpg)

Earlier this year my 13 year old daughter had her first driving lesson in it - video is here http://www.youtube.com/embed/rm2ujsG5rKw (http://www.youtube.com/embed/rm2ujsG5rKw)

Agreed Will...missed one in France, but on reflection for their value when finished thought it was for the best.

However, a local guy here in NI after many years pursuing this Vignale finally bought it! Locally owned...and in a pretty poor state.....

http://www.maranellohouse.com/flavia.html

NI is truly the current UK centre for restoration of......basket case Lancias!!!!

P

If the ebay car is the ex-Basil Spence car then it has lost its most distinctive feature! This was huge rectangular box set into the rear of the car taking up the whole of the boot space. It was in effect a plans-chest to transport drawings. In my opinion it was quite ghastly and ruined the look of the car. Somewhere I have photos of taken in the 1980s when it was being worked on at Scheldt and Pettit.

Colin

That's quite a project.  If you look at his webpage it gives a good idea of how hard-wearing the vinyl used to trim these cars really is.  You have the impression that the rest of the car could have entirely dissolved before the seats would even consider deteriorating!

I've never seen it in person, but I remembered the car you describe being for sale a while ago.  Lancia blue.  I found a picture of it online which confirms the colour.  Isn't this another car; did Hooper do more than one?  Did Sir BS own more than one Flavia Vignale?  I have a vague memory of a picture of him with a Flavia, perhaps in the club mag.  Does anyone remember that?

(http://www.motorbase.com/pictures/contributions/990720//std_64_lancia_flavia_vignale_by_coachbuilder_hooper-1.jpg)

He mentions feeding the leather....just what are you trying to say Will??!!

;)

P

To be precise he mentions using leather cleaner.  Looks like the standard vinyl to me, but photos can mislead...

Finally I wrapped the seats in plastic with a little feed hide smeared underneath the seats in the thinking it will generate a little moisture and aroma for them. Now they will be safely packed away.


........must be leather then...............


P

Fell in love with the first Flavia Vignale I saw back in 1997 on our way to Lake Orta with Frank Dehler, mind the lady driving had a big influence as well!
Unfortunately never had enough money to buy one, although there was a lovely one for sale in blue at the Flavia Anniversary at Covent Garden, that went for about £9k at the time.
Brian
8227 8)

Here are some photographs of what I thought was the ex-Basil Spence Flavia Vignale. These were taken at Scheldt and Pettit’s at Harrow in 1987. The box-in-the-boot modification is very evident. The engine bay shows twin downdraft Solexs and I think it was an early 1500cc car. The red Vignale in the background had registration number 900GBL.

Other posts here have commented on the original red vinyl trim on these cars. I can assure you that it may look like leather, but it’s very hard and durable plastic! And I suppose that if you treated it like leather, it may even smell of leather, but it was vinyl.

I’ll also post this under the Flavia heading.

Colin

.......ok...leatherette then....:)

I will break the bad news to him.......


P

Yes...the box like addition is pretty unacceptable........but minus same, a handsome little convertible

P

I just spotted a company in Italy that is selling repro, stainless steel, bumpers for Flavia Vignales (as well as coupe and sport, Flaminia GT and Sport).
Price?  Roughly £1,000 for the pair, which seems fair.  Are these made in China?  I wonder how accurate the shape is.
http://www.formulavintage.it/products-page/lancia/paraurti-inox-per-flavia-convertibile-vignale/ (http://www.formulavintage.it/products-page/lancia/paraurti-inox-per-flavia-convertibile-vignale/)
(http://www.formulavintage.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/lancia-flavia-vignale-convertible-620x620.jpg)

I think that the agents are based in Bath as this looks like the same thing - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lancia-Flavia-Vignale-Convertible-Cabriolet-brand-new-stainless-steel-bumpers-/350636181830?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3ALancia|Model%3AFlavia&hash=item51a38b8946  - I spoke to the guy about a set for my Flaminia (which they also do), in the end I re-fettled mine as I needed them quicker than they could get them in (for SpaItalia).  They get them made in Vietnam in Ho Chi Min City.

I think the parts originate from there:
http://www.classiclancia.com/car-parts/index.php?route=product/product&keyword=flavia&category_id=0&description=on&product_id=203

Check also the other pages of the website.

No relation nor experience with the company.

No. Classic Lancia source their bumpers from East Germany. 

Is this 1989........please let me know........;).....;)


P

Charles, I was responding to the post by William Corke, and the posted image. I had not checked the link in your post, sorry!

We seem to be moving even further away from our initial subject, the Flavia Vignale for sale....

A check of the website posted by William shows that they are indeed resellers for "Classic Lancia", with a link to that company.
Not quite clear what the italian dealer means by "Il prezzo si riferisce ad un singolo paraurti" : one bumper, or price for one set.

Strange how all those dealers are suddenly offering bumpers for rare models! And 2 different producers in China / "East Germany" and Vietnam, with approximately the same products : why not?

Someone should investigate, and suggest they do also B12 bumpers: Parisien, are you there?

deleted

......course I'm here Sebastien..........I never go away....even when I'm not here........ ;D

As per one of my last posts, I left my bumpers in GB for onwards travel/fixing/rechroming......but in no rush at moment..would love them fixed and refurbed to stick back on, expect it won't be cheap but prefer originals to iffy (?) repros


P

Have emailed them.......about B 12 bumpers

P

Oh well.....

Hi,
 
currently we only list bumpers for cars coupe or
convertible ......
We do not have bumpers for Aurelia B12.
 
Thank you, greetings.


P

Just a question has anyone actually seen this car in the last month or so looks a interesting car at the right price. If I could sell a series 1 Appia  might make a nice project.

Cristo

PM me your telephone and I will give you a call about it. Yes I have seen it.

Tim

The car has now gone from the Godinbanks stocklist, so, is there a new owner of a Flavia Vignale in our ranks, apart of course from Tim with his find from Belgium !!!!

Cristo, you showed an interest, but dependant on the sale of an Appia, did you make it ??

                                           Andy

Dont think he did as we talked about it after it had gone.....

Heres mine after a no advisory MOT pass after 27 years....

Tim

Very smart Tim... a credit to you.......please post up a few more pics or maybe they are already on the forum?

There is a guy over here in NI whose doing  a restoration of an original NI registered Flavia convertible......allegedly the rarest Lancia in existence.......;)


P

Heres the link -

http://www.maranellohouse.com/flavia.html


P

A BIG project. Not for the faint hearted or shallow pockets.

Why the rarest??

Wow

Gorgeous colour.  Tim, congrats on the new addition.

....well.....maybe the logic is a tad spurious........only one to survive, sold and indigenous to NI.....one of a kind....:)


P

Looks good Tim! And here below is how it looked twenty-five years ago in the company of other Flavias at the Flavia Consortium AGM in 1985.

Colin

Interestingly the new colour she is wearing now is not that different.

And the n/s numberplate light cover is still without chrome!!!

What is that number plate holder though??

Tim, she looks absolutely gorgeous and a worthy addition to your fleet.

Had she been used much/recently in Belgium, I would imagine so to go through the MOT without advisories.

I'm looking forward to seeing you both later in the year at some event or another.

Best wishes,

                 Andy

Andy Thanks!!

It was used but the Belgium MOT was not worth the paper it was written on. There was a lot of play in the steering bos that would have failed in the UK as an example (taken out by adjusting the never before adjuster on the box - the yellow Lancia paint was still filling the slot of the adjusting screw!!!!). Also my MOT man said the split pins were of totally the wrong size (not advisory but I will change them). I understood afterwards that the Belgium classic MOT only allows daylight driving in Belgium!!!

Another distinctive Flavia http://martinwillems.nl/#!auto-voorraad/c161y

Is the rear number plate holder similar to an Alfa Giulia?

Does anyone remember a dark blue Vignale for sale at the Goodwood Revival possibly around 2001? To keep the prices period, the dealer had called himself 'Addanought Motors' and the Flavia was up for £500, so in fact £5000. I was very tempted, this being the first one I'd seen in the flesh, but there were some large areas of bubbling on top of one of the front wings and I wasn't sure if this was a sign of something lurking deeper. Did anyone in the club buy it? One of those cars I think back on and wonder if I missed a good opportunity, even if it did need some work.

I do remembber "Add a Nought"

This one (a "Jolly") is a chopped up first series PF coupe and not a Vignale!!

http://www.martinwillems.nl/#!auto-voorraad/c161y

Too ungainly for me with all that overhang at the rear.

Brian
8227 8)

Some nice Gammas at reasonable prices.