25d • General discussion
An Education in Flat Four Finance
Intro
I’ve always been strangely drawn to the unorthodox and the extraordinary, so when I came across a 1984 Gamma in gold for sale I couldn’t buy it quickly enough. The Gamma has always intrigued me; in many ways it was the last “proper Lancia”, with its own 2.5-litre flat-four engine developed in-house. The car, from any angle, is iconic, yet unknown to so many, always provoking curiosity at petrol stations and red lights, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy spreading a little mystery about it.
The Hunt
I wasn’t even looking for a Gamma that night. I was up late at my girlfriend’s parents’ house, idly trawling classic car sites the way other people scroll property listings, when a gold 1984 Gamma appeared. That was that. The design is quietly iconic, seen in only a handful of places in the media, and it ticked every odd box I didn’t know I had. I’d only just started the car accounts, so calling it “content strategy” felt legitimate. By morning, wiser heads asked about parts, cooling and insurance. I nodded, then booked the viewing.
The Viewing and first drive
It meant a run from Yorkshire to just outside Heathrow, with my sister drafted in to keep me sensible. The plan failed immediately; she liked it almost as much as I did. We met Matthew, who could not have been more welcoming: calm, straightforward and generous with his time. He took us out for a careful test drive, answered every question plainly and never once tried to rush the decision. The car was honest about its age, with a small oil leak and a hesitation around 2,100 rpm, but nothing theatrical. In every other respect it looked superb. The bodywork was straight and clean, the sort of condition that makes you forget to haggle.
Gentle Suggestion For First Time Classic Buyers
If you are shopping for a first classic, I would gently suggest that a Gamma is not the one. The engine is clever in all the ways that make it awkward to work on, and the parts situation ranges from rare to theoretical. Body panels are a fantasy item. I have been lucky with help from Andrew and his team at Omicron Engineering in Norwich, who sorted an oil pressure sender and fitted a new alternator, which cured the hesitation. Treat it like any classic and assume it is a money pit, only this money pit hides its spares. That said, they come up so infrequently that if a good one appears and you have the stomach and the specialist for it, you might just stand a chance of owning something genuinely special.
My Closing Statement
The Gamma deserves some attention of its own, instead of being reduced to the old corrosion cliché while the Integrale takes all the applause. It earns that attention on the road. It is quiet when you need it, oddly soothing at a cruise, and full of character when you lean on it. It feels alive in a way new cars rarely do, and on the days it all comes together it is, quite simply, brilliant.
Huge thanks to Andrew and the crew at Omicron Engineering for keeping the Gamma honest, and to Matthew for making the purchase a pleasure.
And with finances suitably warned, I bid you goodbye
Jake from Torque’d Garage.
5:21
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An Education in Flat Four Finance
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