Founder of Casa Lancia

I first encountered Lancia in 1960. The neighbors behind us at the campsite near Torre del Lago Puccini (Viareggio) had an Appia. Nice, with those two cupboard doors on each side. We (my dad) had a Ford Taunus with a globe on the nose.

The second time was in 1965. I hitchhiked to Madrid in early December to spend the winter. In France, I got a ride of a few hundred kilometers in a Fulvia 2C. In 1965, there were few motorways in France. Business people drove at night, on two-lane roads and through towns and villages. That was and still is brilliant with the 2C! Four headlights, stable, maneuverable, fast, brakes like a bear, reliable, quiet. Safe and impressive.

I bought my first Lancia in 1968, a third-hand Flavia coupé. My girlfriend, Annebel, drove a Flaminia Touring Convertible 2.8 3C as her daily driver. In 1970, the first new Lancia, a Fulvia Berlina, arrived. The car cost 9,995 guilders. I got 5 guilders back. I parked the Berlina illegally on Carnaby Street. We drove it to Cornwall, Lisbon, the Algarve, Spain, and Italy. Annebel and I married in the Fulvia in 1972.

After the Fulvia Berlina, came the Beta Berlina, the Beta Coupe, the Gamma Berlina, the Beta HPE, and two Thema Turbos. Since 1996, I've been driving the Fulvia Coupe again as my daily driver, and for special occasions, the Beta Coupe, the Beta HPE, the Flavia Berlina 1500, the Flaminia Coupe PF, the Appia, and the Fulvia Berlina. I've meticulously restored all the cars and made them suitable for daily use. Since then, a few went to other owners. Now (end of 2025) I own a Fulvia Rallye 1.3 (Tina), a Kappa coupé, a Phedra, and a Fulvia berlina 2C.

All in all, over two million kilometers on Lancias, of which over a million were on Fulvias. I got married in a Lancia. The children were conceived in the backseat of a Lancia.

I've driven the most kilometers on the 1967 Fulvia Rallye 1.3. The Fulvietta is called Celestina. Friends can call it Tina. I bought Tina in 1998 in Trieste. I drove it extensively until its restoration in 2005 and 2006. From April 1, 2007, to April 1, 2017, it was my only daily driver. 42,000 km per year, summer and winter. In total, I've driven it 600,000 km. In all those years, the car has never stalled. Fuel consumption is 15km per liter (7 liters per 100 km). Tina is still driving perfectly. She's now due for new piston rings, a carburetor overhaul, and a few other things. Then I'll complete the million kilometers.

Annebel, my wife, likes to come along, even in the Fulvia. If I say in the morning, "Shall we have dinner in Beaune tonight?" She'll be packed and ready next to the Fulvia within 15 minutes. A long weekend in Italy? Yes, please!

In 2004, I had a problem with my left leg. Annebel had to drive in the 1st series Rallye 1.3 (Elena this time) to one of our Italian meetings. We left Breda Netherlands in the morning. It was pouring rain most of the day. Near Lugano Switzerland, Annebel said, "The car drives great. The brakes inspire confidence. Shall we take a break now?"

It's become quite a story. I'll see if I can find any old photos and slides. Then the story will grow. I'm telling it with a purpose. Everyone looks at their Lancia(s) differently. There are those who only collect cars that will never run. There are those who make the cars suitable for a spin around the church once a year. It's all good. My vision is driving the cars, safe and reliable. I had my Flaminia's, Appia and Flavia's in good condition to drive across Europe. With the Fulvia, it's easy.

When you and I make a plan for your car, I look at it from the perspective of driving all over Europe. Museum pieces? That's fine, but they have to be drivable." Please try to explain as clearly as possible what your perspective is, what your vision is. Everyone is different. Fortunately. If you're new to the world of classic cars, there's a lot to take in. In the coming months, I'll be publishing more background information to help you communicate and develop your plan.

Germans build good cars for their customers.
Italians build cars they enjoy driving themselves.

At Casa Lancia, we believe that you can only restore, overhaul, or repair a Lancia if you drive one yourself.

I own the website viva-lancia.com and the forum op forum.viva-lancia.com. My username is Huib.