In the early fifties cars had rounded shapes with small windows. Pinin Farina – the Italian top designer (from 1961 spelled Pininfarina) – made all these designs look outdated at a single stroke, with the Aurelia Florida. With a single sweeping line from headlamp to taillight, flat surfaces and large windows, this 1955 prototype introduced an angular style that has influenced car styling to the present day. The Florida was built on an Aurelia B12 platform and the Lancia management was so impressed that work started immediately to develop it for production.

The Flaminia, as the new model would be called, had an all new V6 engine, similar to the Aurelia but bigger and stronger. The rear-mounted gearbox and De Dion rear axle were identical to last series Aurelias, but at the front the sliding pillar system had at last given way to a modern double wishbone lay-out. The Flaminia was the first Lancia to be fitted with disc brakes (front and rear), first as an option, but after 500 cars were built they became a standard feature.

Where the Flaminia really excelled was in its styling. The Berlina is the most beautiful closed car ever built by Lancia, and the other models are equally outstanding. Pininfarina built a very chic Coupé, a design reflecting the Berlina. Touring built an aluminium Coupé (GT and GTL) and an identical Convertible. Zagato also worked with aluminium and created the Sport and Super Sport. These Zagato designs have a double-bubble roof for more interior space for driver and passenger and are the fastest and most spectacular of all the Flaminias.