The Lancia Fulvia, which gained a cult following in SA in the Seventies, has been resurrected. But the Fiat Group’s restructuring could make Frankfurt the last show for the chic Italian.
The Lancia Fulvia, which gained a cult following in SA in the Seventies, has been resurrected. But the Fiat Group’s restructuring could make Frankfurt the last show for the chic Italian.
According to our correspondent in Frankfurt, the Fulvia remake has drawn much interest at the show. The original version of the little Lancia dominated European rally racing and also featured in local events during the Seventies.
Fitted with a five-speed gearbox (a luxury at the time) and a peppy engine, which proved more potent than its small displacement suggested, the Fulvia was very popular with the South African public and is still a favourite with local collectors.
The latest version of the compact coupé is based on the Fiat Barchetta roadster and was designed by the Lancia Styling Centre under the direction of Flavio Manzoni.
The model was initially expected to be on the market by late 2005, but its production is in doubt given Fiat Group’s chief executive Giuseppe Morchio’s relaunch plan for Fiat Auto.
As things stand, the Morchio plan includes only one new model for Lancia – its version of the Fiat Idea compact MPV – between 2004 and 2006.
Could there be sufficient public demand to see the exciting Fulvia beat the sensible MPV to the production line? You tell us…
