Before its legendary successes on the special stages of the World Rally Championship, Lancia had already earned a reputation as one of Europe's most technically innovative motor manufacturers.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the company produced beautifully engineered cars that consistently challenged convention, and the Flavia was perhaps the finest expression of that philosophy.

Introduced in 1961, it became Italy's first series-production front-wheel drive motor car, combining an aluminium horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine, four-wheel disc brakes and exceptional refinement at a time when such engineering was almost unheard of.

Whilst the Flavia was conceived as an executive saloon, Lancia commissioned several of Italy's finest coachbuilders to create exclusive derivatives.

Among the most elegant was the Vignale Convertible, introduced during 1962 and styled by Giovanni Michelotti.

Built on the shorter coupé platform, production totalled just 1,601 examples, of which onl...