Flavia Coupé and Gamma Coupé are not only two of the Lancias in Passione Classica’s garage, but also ancestors of the k Coupé, which was introduced in 1996 to satisfy the expectations of a demanding clientele that for over twenty years had been waiting for a model for this segment.

The k in its sporty attire was presented at the 1996 Turin Auto Show and had several petrol-fuelled engine options: a 3.0 L 204 hp 24V V6, a 2.4 L 175 hp naturally aspirated I5, and a 2.0 L 205 hp 16V turbo engine. The latter was replaced in 1998 with the new 2.0 L, 220 hp turbo I5. However, when one bears an important name and is a child of art, the weight of judgement can be overwhelming. This definitely did not benefit the commercial launch of a vehicle that received lukewarm reactions by both the press and the public. Amongst the elements that did not quite convince were the rear window with its sloping profile that ended in the two fins on either side of the boot, and the wheelbase, which was shortened about 12 cm compared to the saloon. This last alteration gave the car a rather clumsy and graceless appearance, and it did not take long for it to join the failed cars club. And yet, compared to the saloon, the Coupé was heavily changed: nose aside, everything was redesigned, roof and windscreen inclination included. Despite the large amount of capital available for its creation, production was limited, though not by Lancia’s design. The factory produced a little over 4,000 k Coupés in total. The price, starting from 69,000,000 liras + optionals, did not help at all; and in those years, competition was merciless, so the k Coupé was removed from the market/official catalogue in 2000 (it was featured in Quattroruote until January 2001.) After that, the oblivion. Like for all cars, the vehicles already sold followed their natural depreciation and then, for the following two decades, the model was completely forgotten.

Today, more than one collector is looking for one to complete their collection or simply because they are fascinated by its history.
During a recent work trip to the Netherlands I met the owner of a workshop specialised in Italian classic and youngtimer cars, chairman of a Lancia club, with a vast collection of k models. Thus, I found out that the Lancia community abroad is really large—not only in the Netherlands, but also France, Belgium, and Germany.