Online car auction site Car & Classic is to offer the opportunity to purchase a rare 1968 Lancia Fulvia Sport Competizione Zagato with bids able to be placed from January 10th.

One of 25 rumoured to be produced and 19 left in circulation, the 1968 Lancia Fulvia Sport Competizione Zagato followed on and took inspiration from the 1300 version of the Lancia Fulvia Sport which was a successful model for the Italian coachbuilder.

The car on sale - chassis number #1905 - belonged to Messina driver Angelo Rizzo after it was assigned to him by Cesare Fiorio, director of the Lancia Racing Department. He had the car prepared by Facetti in Milan and raced in the Targa Florio in 1968 and 1969 as well as a sixth place finish at the Catania-Etna hillclimb in 1968.

The car was sold to driver Emanuele Parrinello at the end of the season who raced it during 1969. Modifications were made to the car during his ownership, including the removal of elements of the front grille and plexiglass caps of the front headlights. Ultimately, the car’s career in racing ended as the owner wouldn’t adapt it to meet competition specifications. It was then painted in Lancia blue before being restored to its original San Siro Red livery, that Zagato originally chose, in the early ‘90s.

The Competizione features four adjustable shock absorbers, four new Pirelli CN36 tyres, five original 13” Campagnolo rims and five Cromodora 14x6 rims with new Vredestein 185/14 all season tyres. It has a 10/37 gearbox prepared by Officina Ratto which is suitable for road use and the short competition gearbox used for hill climbs also remains in perfect working order. Two 35 Dell'Orto carburettors with trumpets, oil radiator, battery switch, Brantz rpm detector and front leaf springs on roller bearings as per the original build are also featured on the car.

Inside, the car still has the original trim and seat in light blue imitation leather adopted by Zagato for the Competizione. It comes with a Ferrero Sandro Munari steering wheel, while the Momo steering wheel used in competitions is sold separately. As well as a new Inox Aros exhaust with Gr4 manifold, the car is also equipped with two side exhausts as used in racing.

The detailed history of the car is proven with race photos, entry lists and competition results all available from that period. Several magazines have profiled the car, Auto d'Epoca of May 1998 and Automobilismo d'Epoca of May 2023, and it has recently returned to the racing scene having competed in the 2019 Coppa dei Fiori and the 2020 Floriopoli Cup.

The 1968 Lancia Fulvia Sport Competizione Zagato auction runs from January 10th to 17th and is expected to sell for between €140k-170k.

words: Mike Booth
pictures: Car & Classic