Lot details
Registration No: NHV 19E
Chassis No: 815335002208
Mot Expiry: June 2013

Designed by Professor Antonio Fessia, the Flavia first saw the light of day at the 1960 Turin Motor Show. It was initially powered by an alloy four-cylinder boxer engine of 1500cc, but this was enlarged to 1800cc and finally 2000cc over the model's fifteen year production run. Drive was via the front wheels (a first for an Italian production car) and the suspension featured double wishbones at the front and leaf springs at the rear. Braking was by discs all-round. The initial offering was a four-door Saloon. Pinifarina quickly weighed in with both Coupe and Cabriolet versions, Zagato then came up with a decidedly eye-catching 2+2 Coupe that was not to everybody's taste, while of more universal acclaim was the Vignale Cabriolet penned by Michelotti and first seen at the 1962 Turin Motor Show.

This tidy-looking Vignale Cabriolet is a right-hand drive example built in 1967. While its early history is not known, we have proof that it was purchased by journalist and author Rory Knight Bruce from a Sotheby's winter sale in 1988. According to an article he wrote on the car, it had not been used since 1974 and was thought to have covered no more than 14,200 miles. The same piece talks of it being extensively restored during the 1990s, which is backed up by the car's extensive paperwork. The vendor acquired 'NHV 19E' during 2006 and had it repainted as recently as January this year - once Gold, it is now finished in Silver, teamed with Red upholstery. She now considers the bodywork and (original) interior trim to be in "nice condition", the paintwork to be "very good", the 1800cc engine to be "running beautifully" and the four-speed manual transmission to be "good". The Flavia comes complete with original parts catalogue, MOT into June 2013 and unpainted hardtop (though, the latter will need collecting from the Bolton area).