Lancia Motor Club

H&H online auction on 24th June:

https://www.handh.co.uk/auction/lot/-1987-Lancia-Delta-HF-Turbo-Cabriolet/?lot=49951&so=0&st=&sto=0&au=481&ef=&et=&ic=False&sd=0&pp=48&pn=1&g=1

I used to own a similar car, but only a base 1.3, which I much regret selling; D886 WPN where are you?

Mike, was that the same one as Steve Drove
Brian
8227  8)

Mike,

Here's a photo of yours at the 1996 GNW in Newby Bridge Cumbria. Was it yours then?

Yes, Brian, I sold it to my brother and he ran it for a few years before selling it on. I have never attended the GNW, and I think I probably sold it to Stephen around 1995-96, so he presumably attended that event early in his ownership. The DVLA website shows it last taxed in 2001, so it's probably no longer with us.

Hi Mike,
I was going to the GNW for the first time this year ::)
I took photos of it while at the Bristol Group monthly meeting at Tormarton in the late 1990's , but I didn't realise it was a turbo.
Brian
8227  8)

No it wasn't, Brian; mine was a plain vanilla base 1.3!

Sorry Mike,
That's what I thought, got confused (not hard these days!) with the header above.
Brian
8227  8)

Here is the bit about the Prisma  conversion in the news sheet back in November 1989.

That's interesting, Frank. I was unable to ascertain who did the conversion when I owned my car, the nearest I got was a suggestion that thy were done by the same company that converted the contemporary Skodas. I thought the reference in the current advert to the conversion being by H R Owen seemed a bit unlikely.

A conversion commissioned by Mount View Motors perhaps explains how it came to be in north Nottinghamshire five years later, although the registration number is a Brighton number!

They may possibly have done conversions on low mileage used cars. I know Crayford Engineering did this with estate car conversions because my father had a Mercedes estate built by them in the early seventies. In the case of Crayford I gather it saved on purchase tax to convert a used car. I'm not sure the same rational would apply once VAT was introduced but I suppose it might have made the finished item a bit more affordable.

Sold for £4,500 plus auction fees.

That's interesting, Mountview was my local Lancia dealership, my integrale came from there.
I have friends in Horncastle, one knows the guy that was a mechanic there at that time, I'll see if he remembers anything of it..

Hi All
I've been contacted by the owner of this car who is keen to know any more about it - anyone with any more information feel free to add ...
For the record, they've contacted HR Owen but this is to far back for them to know anything.

https://www.aronline.co.uk/facts-and-figures/unsung-heros/unsung-heroes-skoda-rapid-coupe-cabriolet/

This says Ludgate of Tonbridge did the Skoda conversions and it would seem too much of a coincidence for that not to be the LDD referred to in the old news sheet article. There is also a Roger Ludgate on the net who is an 80 year old car restorer in Tonbridge who might be connected. ( http://www.checkcompany.co.uk/director/6152296/MR-ROGER-LUDGATE )

OK, I've heard back from my friend Ben, who knows one of the main mechanics from Mountview at that time, Chris, and indeed he knows a lot about them.
Message I got back from my friend Ben was "yes Chris knows a lot about them, what do you want to know"
Well obviously I am interested to hear anything about these cars if only to satisfy my own curiosity as that was less than 15miles from my door and I knew nothing of them. But more so any information for the new owner would be priceless.
I hope to get more information from Chris direct or maybe he will find time to post on here himself as I'm sure more would be keen to know about it.

Fantastic news! My old car is probably long gone from this world, but I would still be fascinated to learn more.

The new owner is not a club member - I just got contacted - but I will pass on your updates to them