1969 LANCIA Fulvia Berlina 1.3

Vehicle Overview

Lancia introduced the Fulvia Berlina (sedan) as an executive car, and it was a technologically advanced vehicle for its times.

The Italian carmaker was much known for its sports cars and its technological achievements over time. It built unit-body vehicles in 1922 and installed a V-4 engine since WWI. Back in the ’60s, Lancia had three lineups, and the Fulvia was the one that sat on top. It was the car driven by the company’s management. Six years after the initial launch, the vehicle went through some changes.

From the outside, there was a charming simplicity. Without its badges, only the reversed trapezoidal grille would resemble the brand. Its four round headlights were similar for many other cars, including Fiat or Alfa. The rounded edges of the bodywork and the greenhouse’s simple look made the vehicle look bland but not dull.

Inside, the Fulvia was incredibly spacious for a car from its times. Since it featured a front-wheel drive, there wasn’t any transmission tunnel to cross the vehicle from front to the back, allowing the carmaker to build the Fulvia with a flat floor. There were two flat seats at the front and a bench in the rear. Its leatherette upholstery was offered as an option, while the standard Fulvia featured cloth seats. The dash panel was flat and low mounted, with a linear speedometer and a few gauges for the coolant temperature, oil pressure, ammeter, and fuel-tank.

Under the hood, Lancia installed a 12 degree V4 engine angled at 45 degrees. Its 1.3-liter displacement may have seemed too small, but it offered more power than many 2.0-liter engines from that era.