Even amongst the storied Italian marques, Lancia has always maintained a distinct aura. From motorsport to technology, the Turin-based manafactured has marched to its own melody. And with the jawdroppingly gorgeous alloy-bodied Flaminia Super Sport of the ‘60s, Lancia conducted its outright masterpiece.

Successor to the legendary Aurelia coupe of the ‘50s, the Flaminia borrowed its illustrious predecessor’s famous innovation – the world’s first production V6 engine – and with a slight increase in displacement to 2.8-litres and the addition of triple carburetors, was able to boost output to a not-inconsiderable 152bhp in this Super Sport form. While the Flaminia was available in three forms including saloon and cabriolet, it was in coupe guise that it achieved true greatness. Pininfarina designed the original coupe based on their acclaimed Florida II prototype of 1956, Carozzeria Touring built its own take on a coupe and a convertible until 1967 – but it was Zagato that made the most beautiful Flaminias of them all with the Sport and Super Sport coupes.

Less than 150 of these Series 3 coupes were built, out of a total of 525 Flaminia Zagatos made between 1959 and 1967. This particular example has a rich seam of history dating back to the original owner Eleonora Santini D’Acunto, who purchased it new on the 7th of May, 1965; the original 1969 registration plate is in our possession along with a handwritten bill of sale to the next owner, nobleman Count Giovanni Fani Ciotti.

Count Fani Ciotti enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with this Super Sport, owning it nearly four decades from 1970 to 2012. At that point in project condition, the Super Sport’s story rapidly escalates, first with an appearance at the Essen Technoclassica in March 2012. Following this showing, Tomini Classics purchased the Super Sport and treated it to full nut-and-bolt three-year restoration in Germany, with a engine rebuild by Dutch marque specialists.

After a tour of the United States in 2017, the car returned to Dubai, where it would immediately go on to glory and win Best In Show at the Gulf Concours, followed by a showing at the Dubai International Motor Show in 2019. It comes complete with a  treasure trove of historic documents including the original Italian owners manual, English translations and the original Italian dealer directory.

Today, it must rank amongst the finest examples of the Super Sport Zagato available globally, and will almost certainly take pride of place in the collection of its next custodian.