The 1976 Italian Group 4 Championship-winning
1975 Lancia Fulvia Barchetta

• Raced in period at the Targa Florio and other prestigious events
• Targa Florio Centenary participant in 2006
• Bought for a UK private collection circa 2008
• Recently recommissioned

When our vendor was researching this Lancia Fulvia Barchetta's history, a gentleman named Giacomo Di Maria from Palermo came forward and explained it had run as a hardtop in the Targa Florio. When our vendor asked how he knew, it turned out that he was the original driver who had built the car with Fransesco Petrola and raced it and won the Italian Group 4 Championship in 1976! After numerous communications with Giacomo and Mauritzio Petrola (the son of the original team/garage owner) the rest of the history came to light.

Giacomo sent several photographs showing the car in 1976/1977 and the different coloured paint schemes, from the original green/blue of 1976 to the white of 1977. The various paint colours can still be seen through various stone chips and panels that were never painted, confirming the history further.

Car '93' was converted from a standard 1975 Lancia Fulvia for Giacomo Di Maria and Phillippe Bruno by Francesco Petrola, who won his class at the Targa Florio in 1976 in a Fulvia. The build was undertaken during the end of 1975 and into 1976 for the car to be ready for the Targa Florio, the first race of he season. The Fulvia raced throughout the 1976 season and won the Italian Championship, going on to race in 1977. It was then converted into a red Barchetta by Francesco Petrola in 1978/1979, and continued to race in Italy (as photographed). The red paint can still be seen on the roll cage. The following race results are known:

1976 Targa Florio 18th overall and 2nd in class
1976 Pergusa 13th overall and 2nd in class
1976 Monza 6hrs 14th overall and 1st in class
The car also raced at Imola, Casale, Misano and in the Giro d'Italia in 1976 (results still being researched)
1977 Targa Florio 24th overall and 1st in class (the rest of this year's history is being researched)

In 2006 the Fulvia was restored by Francesco Petrola and participated in the Targa Florio Centenary, driven by Francesco and Count Federico (picture in folder) in circa 2008 it was brought to the UK where it remained in a private collection until purchased by our vendor. Over the last few months the car has been undergoing mechanical recommissioning to get it ready to return to the road for the 2023 summer, the vendor spending circa £4,000-plus on the works (full details and related bills available).

This historic Lancia Fulvia Barchetta comes with a folder full of paperwork, it has full original Italian FIA paperwork to Appendix H which date from 2001 which will require updating to HTP; lots of correspondence with the original owner and builder and his son; and bills for mechanical overhaul including full service, water pump, timing chain full brake refurb in 2023