http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1967-Lancia-Flavia-Zagato-Sport-in-extremely-solid-condition-easy-restoration-/360683978811?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item53fa70c03b
Looks interesting, anyone off the forum going for it?
P
It's in my barn (I took the pictures just before the Appia Furgoncino went - you may be able to see it in the background of some of them). I have been storing it for a couple of years for the owner, who isn't a 'car guy' (but his father was). From my inspections of it during the time I have had it (fairly frequent, as I have had to move it around and re-pack the spares quite frequently!), I would say it was a really easy project (I would asses its quality level at about that of my Furgoncino, and that was superb). As far as I can tell (my inspections of the parts have not so far been exhaustive), there is nothing broken or missing - and with a Flavia Zagato that's a HUGE plus (probably the most important aspect). The chap who died really knew his onions, and had this car and a Flaminia Touring (which we also have in storage but his son doesn't want to sell), and he was restoring both cars when he was afflicted by the illness that killed him. The saddest part of all is that a lot of the parts for both this car and the Flaminia have been carefully sorted, boxed and labelled, in preparation for the new owner to continue the work. I cannot imagine a more heart-rending position to be in than to be having to pack the parts of a car I was restoring, in the knowledge that I would never get to finish the job (actually that's what I did with the Furgoncino, but at least I am alive to see it, and I intend to visit Simon frequently to see how it is progressing).
Anyway, back to the Flavia. It looks like a beautifully solid car - I have a huge aversion to dents, because I really HATE wavy and ripply bodywork, and removing dents to perfection is very hard work. This car is remarkably dent-free, and as the body is aluminium it is not affected by the issues that would afflict, say, a Fulvia Zagato. I know that there can be issues around where the aluminium comes into contact with the steel parts, but as far as I can see, this car does not suffer from those issues with the exception of the four wing corners, which a) have been removed; and b) are a very simple matter to replace. Apart from that the car does not appear to need serious bodywork apart from a strip and repaint. The front 'wheel houses' are a bit crunchy, but they are easy to repair and not very visible.
The interior is all there (there are 3 seats and a spare cover), and although they aren't all the same colour (they have faded at different rates), there is enough interior there to keep it original - and how many Flavia Zagatos are there with nice original interiors? The door cards aren't great, but again there are more than a set and there should be enough to have new card made and put the existing vinyl onto it.
As I say in the eBay description, if I had the money, time and space I would unquestionably be buying this car myself - it is a really easy, peachy job to do, and the best thing of all is that the car is sufficiently good that when it is done it will be a good example - so many cars that need heavy restoration are deteriorated or have missing parts to the extent that even if they are restored as well as possible they will never be good cars. This one isn't like that - like my Furgoncino, in my opinion it has the potential to be one of the best around.
I am not going to divulge the reserve, as I have advised the owner that I will test the market for him, and as these cars are so rare in this condition, come onto the market so infrequently, and this one is so much better than almost all of the others that are around, it is very difficult to value. However, the figures I have in my own mind, both in terms of the reserve and of the ultimate selling price, are similar to the figures for my Furgoncino.
Finally, if anyone feels like a trip to Devon, I will be happy to show them the car, 'warts an' all' - as it is stripped like this you can see everything very easily, and you aren't buying a 'pig in a poke'. I would advise a trip - this is a very rare opportunity, and the costs of this restoration are so much lower than, for example, those of a Fulvia Zagato restoration, and the final value is so much higher, that it has got to be a good prospect.
As I said, I am sad to let it escape, but my loss is your gain! If anyone wants any more info or higher-res pictures, please contact me and I shall be happy to oblige.
