Lancia Motor Club

General => General Chat => Topic started by: Michael Bedford on 03 August, 2021, 06:08:15 PM



Title: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: Michael Bedford on 03 August, 2021, 06:08:15 PM
At a very enjoyable (despite the rain!) Silverstone Classic last weekend I picked up a Lancia Flavia promotional brochure from one of the stalls and when I returned home I found that tucked in the back was a 1968 price list from Lancia (England) Ltd. I found this to be intriguing especially as the price of a new Flavia PF coupe iniezione was £2,700 (and 15 shillings), which the Bank of England inflation adjuster suggests is about £47,000 today. I think my father bought a house a couple of years later for not much more than that!

Since I was not sure how widely the prices of the different cars (Fulvias as well as Flavias) at the end of the 1960s is generally available I thought others might also find this of some interest. Hopefully, the attached pic is clear enough to be legible. I also note that by March 1968 there was no list price for a Flavia Zagato Sport but the Flaminia could still be purchased, if you did not mind LHD and you were content with the PF version rather than the Zagato or Touring versions. I don't know whether the latter were still available as special orders?

All credit to the LMC for an impressive display of Lancias including a great selection of Lambdas. Coming hard on the heels of the AGM, that was a great achievement.


Title: Re: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: Kevinlincs on 05 August, 2021, 10:33:47 PM
This list is from 1965 so should be similar, shows how the gulf between British stuff and Lancia made them a hard sell, way more for the Flavia coupe than an E type for example, a whole fleet of Ford Anglia's could be had!


 This table shows a range of well-known cars and their prices in 1965.

Cost   In today's money
Austin/Morris Mini   £470   £6,400
Reliant 3 Wheeler   £487   £6,700
Ford Anglia   £492   £6,700
Hillman Imp   £509   £7,000
Vauxhall Viva   £538   £7,400
MG Midget   £624   £8,500
Austin 1100   £644   £8,800
Volkswagen Beetle   £650   £8,100
Triumph Spitfire   £666   £9,100
Ford Cortina (four door)   £668   £9,100
Hillman Minx   £680   £9,300
Vauxhall Victor 101   £690   £9,400
Morris Oxford   £782   £10,700
Austin 1800   £833   £11,400
MGB   £855   £11,700
Ford Zephyr 6   £900   £12,300
Triumph TR4A   £968   £13,200
Vauxhall Cresta   £974   £13,000
Austin Westminster   £998   £13,700
Humber Hawk   £1,095   £15,000
Austin-Healey 3000   £1,107   £15,000
Rover 2000   £1,298   £18,000
Jaguar MkII 2.4 litre   £1,389   £19,000
Jaguar E-Type   £1,867   £25,000
Aston Martin DB5   £4,412   £60,000


Title: Re: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: neil-yaj396 on 06 August, 2021, 08:34:19 AM
I know that these prices exclude car tax, but even so, modern cars have doubled in price, or more....


Title: Re: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: frankxhv773t on 06 August, 2021, 10:18:50 AM
Adding car tax is quite significant. I have a Glass's guide from Jan 1962 at which time car tax added 46% to the price.

Here are some new car prices (inc tax) from that date.

Appia S3 Saloon £1548
Auto Union £1312
I don't think any other 1 litre four door saloon comes close on price

Flaminia Berlina £3602
Jaguar Mk X £2393
Mercedes 220SE £2909
Alvis TD21 Saloon £2911

Flaminia Touring £4004
Jaguar 3.8 E-Type FHC £2262
Porsche 356B Super 90 £2749
Jensen 541S £3188

There is a higher league containing things like Bentley and Ferrari.



Title: Re: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: Mikenoangelo on 06 August, 2021, 02:23:24 PM
I know that these prices exclude car tax, but even so, modern cars have doubled in price, or more....

Yes but now you get a touchscreen and Blueteeth instead of switches and a radio. :)
The tax paid at that time was huge but one thing comes out,  Jaguars were jolly good value compared with their competitors.

Mike


Title: Re: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: GG on 06 August, 2021, 06:24:26 PM
Is the car tax on al, cars, or just imports?

And agreed, Jaguars were stunning good values.


Title: Re: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: Kevinlincs on 06 August, 2021, 07:17:58 PM
The Import tax in the 60's was huge, think that changed with the Common Market deal in 1973.
If you look at any picture in the classic car magazines from the 60's then it's British stuff everywhere as the duty on Imports was huge, that's why the difference between things such as Jag's and Lancia was huge. Having said that the difference between an E type and something like a Ford Zephyr or Austin Cambridge wasn't as big as you may have expected, so I agree with what's already been pointed out, Jag's were decent value!


Title: Re: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: Michael Bedford on 06 August, 2021, 09:15:31 PM
However you look at it (with or without purchase tax), Lancias were clearly being priced to the UK market on the basis that they were a premium product and their discerning customers were prepared to pay that price, notwithstanding the temptations of a Browns Lane Jaguar. If I had a time machine and a sackful of used tenners, and could go back to the mid-sixties, I am not sure what I would have done. Part of me likes to think that I would have stayed loyal to the engineering excellence of a Flavia or a Flaminia, and part of me thinks I might have been lured away to the heady delights of an XK engine and the sheer panache of an E-type. The ideal of course would have been to have bought a block of garages and to have filled them with a pick of the best of the sixties motoring classics, and kept them ever since. That way, I could now have an awesome collection of Lancias and Jaguars (and the the odd Maserati, Triumph, and Alfa Romeo). If only....


Title: Re: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: frankxhv773t on 07 August, 2021, 08:25:33 AM
I think class or social position played a greater part in choice of car in the past. Jaguars were undeniably excellent cars at ridiculously reasonable prices but they had a bit of a caddish image. A Gentleman might choose a Bentley or an Alvis perhaps whilst a bank manager or doctor might choose a Rover or a Triumph or Riley. Lancia buyers were often people with more specialist professions like writers, surgeons, architects and engineers, not forgetting racing drivers. A proper social study of historic car buying preferences would be fascinating.


Title: Re: Lancia (England) Ltd price list March 1968
Post by: mikeC on 07 August, 2021, 02:52:50 PM
Adding car tax is quite significant. I have a Glass's guide from Jan 1962 at which time car tax added 46% to the price.

Here are some new car prices (inc tax) from that date.

Appia S3 Saloon £1548
Auto Union £1312
I don't think any other 1 litre four door saloon comes close on price

Flaminia Berlina £3602
Jaguar Mk X £2393
Mercedes 220SE £2909
Alvis TD21 Saloon £2911

Flaminia Touring £4004
Jaguar 3.8 E-Type FHC £2262
Porsche 356B Super 90 £2749
Jensen 541S £3188

There is a higher league containing things like Bentley and Ferrari.



If you think the Appia looks expensive in that company, compare the prices in 1954:

Lancia Appia Mk 1 £1,250
Jaguar Mk VII £1,140
Jaguar XK140 £1,127 (roadster) or £1,140 (fixed-head coupe)