1970 | Lancia Fulvia Coupe HF 1.6

 The story of this Lancia Fulvia Coupè HF 1.6 begins on February 28, 1970 when the gentleman driver Luigi Innocente from Jesolo went to Milan and bought a flaming Fulvia "Fanalone" in Rosso Corsa from SAICAR, an official Lancia dealer, just like the one driven by the "Drago", Sandro Munari.

The car was probably purchased in Milan because the Venetian driver raced with the colors of the Jolly Club, an historic Milanese racing team, which is perhaps why he managed to get a special price. After a few weeks, the racing career of this HF 1.6 began in the Group 3 class, GT up to 1600, at the Sanremo Rally, then followed by the Elba Rally, the 999 Minuti, the Prealpi Venete, the Rally del Friuli, the Coppa Piave, the San Martino di Castrozza and the 333 Minuti.​

​

At the time, the collaboration between the official Lancia HF racing team and the Jolly Club was close and constant, as demonstrated by the photo at the start of the San Martino di Castrozza rally in 1970, where the director of Lancia  Corse, Cesare Fiorio, is talking with the driver Luigi Innocente, probably to offer him a place at the works service park.

​

The results were good and probably Innocente received an official car of the Jolly Club, so he sold his HF at the beginning of the 1971 season to a famous name in rallying, Francesco "Chicco" Svizzero: he was a valid driver from Treviso who also raced with the colors of the newborn "Piave Jolly Club" before becoming an official Opel driver, then Autodelta with the famous yellow Alfetta GT.

​

Svizzero, paired with Mario Bonamico, began the '71 racing season at the Coppa Dalla Favera, which was followed by the Sanremo, the Challenge del Veneto, the Trofeo ERG, the Alpi Orientali, the Rally di Pordenone and the 333 Minuti.

​

Another season brought home with good results for the Fulvia HF that changes hands, to a Milanese owner who - after only one year - resells it to Antonino Bono in April 1973. Bono, when he obtained the current Trapani license plate: the Sicilian driver with various Targa Florio under his belt, used the winning Coupè HF in Sicilian races, both hill climbs and rallies, until selling it in 1978.

​

The car remained in Sicily for a long time, about 30 years in the hands of the same owner who sold it in 2008, again in Sicily. For 12 years, from 2010 to 2022 the car returned to its hometown, Turin, where it received a complete conservative restoration. Since 2023, the car belongs to the current owner who has carried out the latest tuning and refinement work, but the car was already in excellent condition.

​​

The Lancia Fulvia HF 1.6, thanks to its unparalleled sporting curriculum, is excellent both in historic rallies and in classic and sport regularity events. An icon made famous by the successes of the "Dragon" Sandro Munari who brought it to the top of world motorsport, allowing the parent company to extend the production of the small coupé until 1976. This example in particular, thanks to a complete and documented history, can be the ideal object for participating in all the historic events and revivals of those races where the car took part in the early years of its life.

​

This Fulvia HF comes  with black plates with the province of Trapani and green "libretto". Asi historical relevance certificate and CSAI regularity Fiche; visible by appointment in Parma.

​

Historical photo credit: Actualfoto