Lancia Reviews
Vincenzo Lancia worked at Fiat before setting up his own factory in Turin in 1906. Lancia quickly built up a reputation for advanced engineering, producing vee-engines and independent suspension long before other carmakers emulated it. Lancia also had the first production five-speed gearbox, in 1948, and was a widespread early adopter of front-wheel drive.
This approach was laudable, but it proved less than cost effective and, with deepening financial trouble, Fiat stepped in during 1969. The legacy of a reputation damaged by rusty Betas saw it leave the UK market in 1994, but the badge continues elsewhere on luxury cars with Fiat underpinnings. But for how much longer?
.jpg)
Good:
Hugely advanced saloons with front-wheel drive and V6 engines, still relatively affordable
Bad:
Most likely rusty if it's not been fully restored
.jpg)
Good:
Great performance and efficiency for its modest engine capacity, roomy and stylish
Bad:
Rare, not terribly easy to find, repair or work on
Good:
Beautiful coupes and convertibles that shared the saloon's front-wheel drive and V6 engines, ultra desirable B24 Spider now in the stratosphere
Bad:
Most likely rusty if it's not been fully restored
.jpg)
Good:
Imposing, great to drive, fast in 2.8-litre form, with a maximum speed more than 100mph
Bad:
Rare and expensive to restore; far more so than their current market values
.jpg)
Good:
Gorgeous styling, long-legged cruising, beautiful to look at, great value compared with the Aurelia
Bad:
Relatively low values make full restorations uneconomical
.jpg)
Good:
As with the GT, gorgeous styling, long-legged cruising, and even more beatuful to look at
Bad:
Expensive, and bound to get more so
Good:
All the pros and cons of the Flaminia GT, but with even more gorgeous Zagato styling
Bad:
Only the rich need apply.
.jpg)
Good:
Wonderful progressive technical package, brilliant to drive, a true engineer's car
Bad:
Its talents are hidden under a bushel
.jpg)
Good:
Like the saloon, a brilliantly technical package, that's lovely to drive, a true engineer's car
Bad:
Rust nibbles away at that stylish bodywork in no time
.jpg)
Good:
Drives like a Flavia, but it's more responsive
Bad:
Outlandish looks won't appeal to everyone
.jpg)
Good:
Excellent handling, light and accurate steering, great specialist support and social scene
Bad:
Insipid three-box looks, rot and high rebuild costs in relation with values
Good:
Excellent handling, light and accurate steering, sharp looks, great specialist support and social scene
Bad:
Rot and rebuild costs
.jpg)
Good:
It won the World Rally Championship
Bad:
...and it's just as effective on the road
Good:
All the positives you get with a Fulvia HF Coupe, but with an even lighter body and head turning styling.
Bad:
You either love or hate the way it looks.
.jpg)
Good:
Quick, nice handling, well finished inside
Bad:
A bit anonymous
.jpg)
Good:
The first Fiat-Lancia but still advanced with front-wheel drive, all-wheel disc brakes, twin-cam engines, all good to drive
Bad:
Very few survive today, rust won't be too much of an issue for those that have made it, but do be vigilant
.jpg)
Good:
Pretty styling, rorty twin-cam engines, tidy handling, enthusiastic owners club
Bad:
Rust, low values mean restoration is often uneconomic
.jpg)
Good:
Stylish open-top with great handling and few rivals
Bad:
Rust, fragility
.jpg)
Good:
Great looks (although few recognise it as a Lancia), nice engine with plenty of performance, reasonably roomy interior
Bad:
Slightly suspect handling - although improved with modern tyres, brakes partial to locking up - even on Series 2 cars
.jpg)
Good:
Roomy, quick, charismatic, warbling flat-four is surprisingly potent, handling and ride are excellent
Bad:
Tragic and well-documented unreliability and corrosion issues, unless you give it special treatment every time you use it, the engine is a ticking timebomb
.jpg)
Good:
Plush, smart, and in HF Turbo form, a really exciting performer
Bad:
'Cooking' versions now effectively extinct, HF Turbos are hard to track down. rust is a real problem, especially in structural areas
.jpg)
Good:
Spacious cabin, big boot and enjoyable to drive, better reliability than it's often credited with.
Bad:
Can be afflicted by rust and reliability problems, parts can be tricky to source
.jpg)
Good:
Durable FIRE engines and, for the car's size, a good balance of ride comfort and handling control
Bad:
They rot badly and parts are hard to source, people will think you drive a 'white hen'
.jpg)
Good:
Brilliant steering and handling, lots of power and pace, 8V drivertrain is bulletproof
Bad:
Italian electrics are troublesome, once corrosion takes hold it's tough to beat
.jpg)
Good:
Rides well, handles tidily, Turbo 2.0 is quite quick, all cheap to buy if you can still find one
Bad:
Hard to find these days and getting uglier with every passing year. Body parts difficult to find, Turbo model can be heavy on tyres.
Elsewhere on 
