An American designer penned this truly special coupé, which was exhibited at the 47th Paris Motor Show in 1960 as a rebodied variant of the Flaminia Coupé. Its story reads almost like a romance.
In the late 1950s, American Raymond Loewy, an original designer of cars and trains as well as everyday objects including the king-size Coca Cola bottle, redesigned a Lancia Flaminia Coupé according to his own stylistic tastes.
He had it made by Turin-based coachbuilder Rocco Motto, who specialised in aluminium bodies. Themechanicals were tuned byNardi, boosting the 2.5 L V6 engine from 119 HP to around 150 HP. Loewy was so delighted with the result that he decided to present the car at the 1960 Paris Motor Show.
Loraymo is an acronym of the designer's surname and name—LOEwy RAYMOnd—which was also the telegraphic address of his studio. Loewy used his Flaminia as his personal car for years, first in Europe and then in the United States. Several years after his death, the car was rediscovered by the president of the American Lancia Club, who decided to repatriate it by donating it to Lancia.
A streamlined coupé with highly original lines, this car is packed with truly unique details, many of which betray an almost obsessive fascination with aerodynamics, but all were groundbreaking for their time.
They include the tapering front end with gaping grill enclosed by a prominent chrome frame, which also serves as a bumper. The two outrigger fog lights are detached from the body by an aerodynamic fin and tucked under the headlights on the front fenders, which are slightly open-ended at the bottom to allow for better brake cooling.
The sinuous shape incorporates highly sophisticated aerodynamic solutions, such as the aileron above the rear windscreen and the fully closed chrome wheel rims. The wraparound rear windscreen overhangs the boot, which is only accessible from the passenger compartment. The only protruding rear elements are the twin exhaust pipes and slim bumper, while the taillights are flush with the body.
