The most performance oriented version of the coachbuilt Flaminias was the Sport by carrozzeria Zagato. Zagato had impressed Lancia management before with the competitive Aurelia specials and of course the smaller Appia GT so it was no surprise that Lancia turned to Zagato for the sports variant to complete the Flaminia range. This resulted in what's now regarded as one of the most important and classic Zagato designs.
Essentially the Flaminia Sport seemed like a grown-up Appia GT but on the larger scale of the Flaminia chassis the design appeared better proportioned and well balanced. It stood on the short wheelbase chassis also used for the Flaminia GT by Touring and featured a lightweight aluminum body, crafted by hand. This body weighed less than that of the "Superleggera" GT and its round, shapely forms reduced drag by quite a bit. End result was a car that brought the best out of the Flaminia; power, agility and driveability complemented by good looks and practical features.

Like the GT the Sport was presented to the public at the 1958 Turin Motorshow in Italy. Underneath its curvaceous body it was practically the same as the GT, powered by a similar 2.5-litre V6 producing 119 hp @ 5100 rpm. Sole technical difference between the two models was the lower final drive ratio of the Sport.
Still the Sport was different enough to be 10 kph faster than the GT and even 20 kph faster than the Coupé, topping an impressive 190 kph. It also featured the most rapid acceleration of all Flaminias but retained, even improved upon, the admirable road-holding and driving abilities of other Flaminia models. By no means this was an edgy, uncompromising racing car. Instead, the Sport's character was that of a fast, exciting, yet comfortable tourer.
At 449.5 x 163 x 130.5 (length x width x height) it was only marginally smaller than the GT. Initially a weight of 1320 kg was also similar to that of the GT, though with later versions the difference in weight grew in favor of that of the Sport. These measurements indicate that this car wasn't exactly small and nimble. Yet it only seated two people, with room for luggage behind the seats. There was a practical boot as well and, a novelty then, the boot and the interior space behind the seats was connected by a large hatch. Pieces of luggage extending beyond the length of the boot could be transported this way, most notably items like skis because, well, this was a car for sporty people...

The Sport showed many of the features for which Zagato was famous. There was of course the double-bubble roof, a styling gimmick originally meant to increase head room in racing cars. All versions of the Flaminia Sport had that. The streamlined, rounded lines of the body were also typical Zagato, as were the Plexiglas covers over the headlights and the "dog leg" kink in the rear pillars of the roof. Lots of glass surrounded the passengers compartment, with panoramic front and rear windows, providing a bright interior and excellent visibility.
There was something else typical for Zagato which made the Sport stand out from other Flaminia models: individual variations from car to car. Since all panels were hand beaten, the car assembled the traditional way and Zagato welcomed individual wishes by customers hardly two Sport models were alike. The variations could be minor, like different brightwork or interiors, but also quite elaborate, like a different nose or hood design. These changes didn't make the car unrecognizably different but still practically each Flaminia Sport was unique to some extent.
It was not unusual for Flaminia Sport customers to have their car upgraded once a new version was introduced, which meant that the Zagato built cars regularly ended up being a mixture from different model variations. Early Zagato Sport bodies could be recognized by the headlight covers and the flush-fitting door handles like on the first two cars on this page. These door handles were replaced pretty soon by more normal external ones with push-button locks like shown on the red car.