"Vincenzo Lancia was born in a little Italian village near Turin in 1881. He was the youngest of four children.He showed an aptitude for engineering first with bicycles then cars. He founded Lancia & C.Fabbrica Automobili with friend Claudio Fogolin in 1906 and focused on vehicle manufacture and motor racing. Lancia enjoyed a reputation for technical firsts in production innovation – first monocoque chassis,five speed gearbox and the first V6 and V4 engines.His son Gianni took over the company in 1937 and was heavily committed to racing and continuing innovation.His racing obsession was costly and in the 1960’s the company was sold to a private investor before sale to the Agnelli family in 1969.
This impressive Lancia was purchased by Mr. Henry Morton of Fowey, Cornwall on 1st February 1973 and uses a shallow V4 engine configuration. At that time these were expensive vehicles, highly engineered and competitive, winning the Italian Rally Championship seven times in eight years. The car was originally presented in Verde, often referred to as Ascot dark green. After three years of ownership the car was transferred to his son John, who owned the car for the next 42 years. During his tenure the colour was changed Rosso Red, a glass sunroof was fitted as were a smart set of Cromodora alloys. The Lancia was purchased by our vendor in 2018, as a non-runner, after a two-year search. It has been the subject of a major and detailed ground up restoration to bring the car to the exceptional standard it is today. Original parts were sourced from across Europe to ensure authenticity throughout the restoration the seats and carburettors being rebuilt in Italy by specialists and original specification period correct new Michelin tyres were fitted. The bodywork, as shown in the photographic history, was undertaken by Cotswold Classic Cars at a cost in excess of £20,000. The fully documented engine and mechanical rebuild was entrusted to marque specialists, Richard Thorne Classic Lancia. The preparation for a European trip and subsequent rallies included a half roll cage, rally harnesses and electric fuelling with a pressure control filter. The fastidious vendor with an eye for detail tells us that he oversaw all works and that the total cost of the restoration was in excess of £60,000. This de-bumpered example is presented to auction with a V5C registration document and is offered as one of the finest examples of a series 2 1600HF available in recent years.
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