Lancia Flavia Limousine

The Lancia Flavia Limousine by Francis Lombardi was a limited-production, coachbuilt variant of the Lancia Flavia Berlina, introduced in 1962. The base vehicle was the Lancia Flavia Tipo 815, a front-wheel-drive executive sedan first launched in 1961. The limousine conversion was executed by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi, a Vercelli-based firm known for producing extended-body and special-use vehicles for official and ceremonial purposes. The Flavia platform employed a monocoque chassis and featured a front-mounted, horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine constructed entirely from aluminum. Initial versions displaced 1,488 cubic centimetres and produced approximately 78 metric horsepower. Later versions increased displacement to 1,800 cubic centimetres, with power outputs rising to 92 metric horsepower. Power was transmitted to the front wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox. The suspension was fully independent, and four-wheel disc brakes were fitted as standard equipment. The Francis Lombardi conversion consisted of a lengthened wheelbase and modified roofline to accommodate a formal passenger compartment. The limousine body retained the original front-end design of the Berlina but added additional side glazing, a partitioned cabin, and revised rear accommodation. The roof was extended and raised slightly to improve ingress and egress for rear passengers. Interior appointments were modified for enhanced comfort and privacy. Approximately four examples of the Lancia Flavia Limousine by Francis Lombardi were constructed between 1962 and 1963. No separate chassis numbering sequence is known to have been applied by Lombardi, and surviving records do not document individual vehicle identification numbers. The original commissioning clients are unidentified, though the vehicle was marketed for institutional, diplomatic, or executive use. No evidence has emerged indicating state or Vatican procurement, though similar Lombardi conversions on Fiat chassis were used in those contexts. The designer of the original Flavia Berlina was Antonio Fessia, who also oversaw its mechanical layout. The coachwork modifications for the limousine version were completed in-house by Francis Lombardi’s design staff, without documented attribution to a named stylist. No examples are known to survive in public collections, and no verified restoration records exist. The vehicle remains a documented but obscure example of Italian mid-century coachbuilding applied to Lancia’s upper-segment platforms.