Lancia Cruelty?

[fay66]

Alan,
Certainly looks like a well made bit of kit!

brian

[Dilambdaman]

I used to tow a large covered trailer and my Carlight classic caravan with a 2000 saloon.

I approached my local tow bar fitting depot to see if they could manufacture a bar for the 2000. To my amazement it was still listed and more than that , the supplier had one on the shelf!

Pictures are of a visit to the 2001 Le Mans 24hr race. The second photo was taken as we boarded the Brittany ferry at St Malo and Margaret has written on the back; 'Made it!' which just about says it all as I remember. 

Robin.

[fay66]

I used to tow a large covered trailer and my Carlight classic caravan with a 2000 saloon.

I approached my local tow bar fitting depot to see if they could manufacture a bar for the 2000. To my amazement it was still listed and more than that , the supplier had one on the shelf!

Pictures are of a visit to the 2001 Le Mans 24hr race. The second photo was taken as we boarded the Brittany ferry at St Malo and Margaret has written on the back; 'Made it!' which just about says it all as I remember. 

Robin.

robin,
Great photos.

Brian
8227

[chriswgawne]

Sadly I dont have any photos to prove this but back in the early 80's, we used to use Jacky's Fulvia Sedan 2C to tow a Shetland Family 4 Cabin cruiser on a heavy old trailer complete with Honda 15hp outboard fitted and with 3 young children + paraphernalia in the back & boot of the Fulvia!
Slightly overloaded methinks although the only problem we ever had was dragging the boat + trailer UP a wet slipway when the front wheels had no traction. Solution? Find 2 large onlookers and get one to sit on each front wing.

[Dilambdaman]

How about this then! 

Actually the camera on this occasion does lie.

When I fitted the body to the Dilambda I welded  a steel box section between the rear chassis legs and drilled it to take a tow bar intending to  tow the Carlight caravan. With the body fitted it became obvious that it was going to be difficult to do and my local tow bar centre guys were very sceptical of the outcome. So, being totally absorbed with the engine problems Modestine was plagued with at the time the project was put on the back burner. I've now sold the caravan so that's that I guess, although someone in future years may well be foxed by the additional hardware welded to the chassis.

However, I did put car and caravan together to see what it would look like , hence the photographs. Pretty impressive I reckon?

Robin.

[DavidLaver]

I'm trying to visualise with the caravan painted to match.

David

[Dilambdaman]

I'm trying to visualise with the caravan painted to match.

David

That was very much on the cards too.   

Robin

[JohnMillham]

In the mid '70s I made a towbar to fit the Flavia Vignale, which was my everyday car at the time. This was to enable me to tow a trailer carrying an Austin Seven to the Nurburgring, to race it. It turned out to be a really big job, as there wasn't much bodywork that was strong enough to attach the brackets. We did finally make it and I was most impressed with the Flavia's fuel economy, which hardly noticed the trailer and two biggish (and one not so big) blokes. No matter what I did to that car, it always returned about 30 mpg. The Flavia survived the trip with flying colours, but the trailer had to be repaired in one of the BAOR workshops in Germany, as it tried to break in half.
 Regards, John

[fay66]

Robin,
Very impressive, what a great outfit that would have made to take to the Vintage Caravan Club Meetings.

Brian
8227

[HF_Dave]

What year was the caravan ? it looks like a caravan my aunt had out on the coast in north Co, Dublin Back in the 60s, looking at your pictures takes me back. 

[the.cern]

It may be fantasy, but I'm sure I remember a Dilambda? towing a Gussie on a trailer at one of the 70s AGMs !!!!!!!

Does anyone else remember it ?  If so who was the brave driver, was it Arthur Keeling ??

                         Andy

[Dilambdaman]

What year was the caravan ? it looks like a caravan my aunt had out on the coast in north Co, Dublin Back in the 60s, looking at your pictures takes me back.  

The Caravan is a 1973 Carlight Casetta. It cost around £4000 when new which figure purchased me a brand new 3 bedroom house in Sussex at about the same time! Carlight were making just 25 - 30 caravans a year and I believe are still in business.  

I bought the van in the late 90s and having carried out some necessary repairs used it for attending antique fairs and trips to Le Mans etc. It's last outing was to the VSCC 75th Anniversary Rally held at Malvern in 2009. I sold it on Ebay last autumn and have already regretted doing so.

Robin.

[DavidLaver]

I really can't believe you got me to look up a caravan... 

Here they are:

http://www.carlight.co.uk/corporate/brochures/70s.pdf
http://www.carlight.co.uk/corporate/history/1970s.html

I guess that these days that sort of quality (and customer) would go be in a 100K motorhome rather than a caravan.

David

[HF_Dave]

I don't think my Aunts caravan was anything near as posh as that. In my mind's eye I can see it looking the same, but thats more than 35 yrs ago