1961 Lancia Flavia PF

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The 1961 Lancia Flavia wears a body designed by Pininfarina
The 1961 Lancia Flavia wears a body designed by Pininfarina

If you are looking for something exotic, Italian, and available for less that $50,000, your choices are fairly limited these days.

The Ferrari 308 series, even the GT4, are all trading for considerably more money, and even Maseratis are out of sight unless you consider a Biturbo to be exotic.

To achieve exotic Italian exclusivity on a budget you have to think outside the box. The out-of-the-box  Pick of the Day is this nicely presented 1961 Lancia Flavia PF coupe located in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Lancia interior looks lush, original and comfortable
The Lancia interior looks lush, original and comfortable

For those who have never heard of Lancia, it is an Italian brand with a racing history that includes some of the world’s most famous drivers. Their cars are considered masterpieces of engineering, built with the quality of a Swiss watch.

The Flavia was launched at the 1960 Turin Motor Show and went on sale the next year. The model had a long run as production lasted until 1970. Coachbuilders included Touring, Pininfarina and Zagato. The car we see here was styled by Pininfarina, and it’s a very nice design.

The Flavia was high tech for the time with front wheel drive, a 1.5-liter aluminum boxer four-cylinder engine linked with four-speed manual transmission, four- wheel disc brakes and fully independent suspension.

According to the listing on ClassicCars.com, this Flavia is “finished in a beautiful Italian red; the paint job shows extremely well with only minor imperfections visible upon close inspection.” The interior also seems very nice, and the seller states that, “The black leather seats all look great with no major signs of wear visible. The door panels and dashboard are matched to mirror the exterior of the car and look period.”

The seller sounds like a good one as the ad also tells potential buyers about a few bubbles in the paint on the right rear quarter panel.

It is hard to find an Italian exotic car for the seller’s asking price of $45,900.  This car deserves a look to be sure, and we would bet its new owner is not likely to encounter another Flavia at local car shows.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day

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Andy Reid
Andy Reid's first car, purchased at age 15, was a 1968 Fiat 124 coupe. His second, obtained by spending his college savings fund, was a 1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2. Since then, he has owned more than 150 cars—none of them normal or reasonable—as well as numerous classic motorcycles and scooters. A veteran of film, television, advertising and helping to launch a few Internet-based companies, Reid was a columnist for Classic Motorsports magazine for 12 years and has written for several other publications. He is considered an expert in European sports and luxury cars and is a respected concours judge. He lives in Canton, Connecticut.