For people who like their cars strange, smart, and soulful.

*Mike Baum’s 1966 Flavia Sport Zagato during Dolce e Veloce at the Petersen Museum*

The 1966 Lancia Flavia Sport by Zagato is one of those rare cars that makes you do a double take—not because it’s conventionally beautiful, but because it’s weird in the best possible way. Designed by Ercole Spada at Zagato, the body is a quirky mix of curves and sharp lines, all wrapped in lightweight aluminum. It’s got a bubble roof, a rear window that tilts open, and a kind of alien elegance that only the Italians in the '60s could pull off. It’s not trying to be pretty—it’s trying to be clever.

Underneath all that eccentric design is some equally unconventional engineering. It runs a flat-four boxer engine up front, with front-wheel drive—a very unusual combo for an Italian GT car of the era. The 1.8-liter engine makes around 100 horsepower, which doesn’t sound like much, but thanks to the light body and tight handling, it’s a surprisingly fun car to drive. Think less Ferrari-on-the-Autostrada and more nimble, continental cruiser with a flair for the dramatic.

Only about 700 of these were ever made, which makes it a rare sight even at classic car events. Today, the Flavia Sport Zagato is a cult favorite among collectors who appreciate its oddball charm and coachbuilt pedigree. It’s a car for the design nerds, the Zagato superfans, and anyone who likes their vintage Italian metal with a side of strangeness.

Overview

Model: Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato
Year: 1966 (part of a run from 1963 to 1967)
Designer/Coachbuilder: Ercole Spada at Carrozzeria Zagato
Chassis: Lancia Flavia (Type 815)

Design

The Flavia Sport Zagato was based on the standard Flavia coupe, but its styling is pure Zagato—bold, lightweight, and polarizing.
The body was constructed of aluminum, contributing to weight reduction.
Key features:
- A curved, bubble-like roofline with minimal pillars
- Kamm-style tail to enhance aerodynamics
- A tilting rear window—an unusual touch even by Zagato standards
- Flush door handles and a drag-efficient front end

The design wasn’t conventionally pretty, even by period standards—but it's visually fascinating, and beloved today for its idiosyncrasy and audacity.

Engineering

Engine: 1.8L flat-four (boxer engine), front-mounted
Power: Around 100 hp (varied slightly depending on carbureted vs. fuel-injected versions)
Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Suspension: Independent front suspension with trailing arms and a rear beam axle

Performance & Character

The boxer engine and front-wheel-drive layout were unusual for the time, especially in a sporty Italian coupe.
It was more of a grand tourer than a sports car, favoring composure and refinement over raw performance.
But its light weight (thanks to the aluminum body and stripped-down interior) gave it a nimble feel, especially on winding roads.

Production Numbers & Rarity

Fewer than 700 Flavia Sports by Zagato were built in total between 1963 and 1967.
The 1966 models fall into the Series II, which featured the larger 1.8L engine and refinements over the earlier 1.5L cars.

Legacy & Collectibility

The Flavia Sport Zagato is highly collectible today, especially with the rising appreciation for oddball, coachbuilt Italians of the ’60s.
It’s often seen as a precursor to later Lancia-Zagato collaborations, and a showcase of Spada’s early experimentation with aerodynamics.
Values have been rising steadily, but it’s still something of an insider’s car—more for connoisseurs than for mass-market collectors.

This is a car for people who like their cars strange, smart, and soulful. It may not have the flair of a Ferrari or the polish of a Pininfarina coupe, but the Flavia Sport Zagato is arguably more interesting—a rolling contradiction that’s both ahead of its time and unmistakably of its time.

1966 Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato