Lancia Motor Club

Does anyone know if B333XKM Y10 Fire was a press car?

I think Mark Lima might know.

Yes, tested by Motorsport magazine in October '85. Later it was owned by Peter Deitsch who did a brief write up on it in Auto Italia. Y10 Turbo.

Well that’s embarrassing, just emailed Tim that B331XKM was the Motor road test Y10 Turbo, so guess B333XKM probably a press car

Now just realised I have B330XKM - the ex Peter Dietsch Y10 Turbo sat in my garage 🙀

Frank can you copy the Motorsport piece please? Tim

Just seen the Motorsport article on line and its not B333XKM BUT A TURBO B335XKM......

Guess what? Dyslexia works on reading numbers as well. Here is a scan of the Auto Italia article.

I'll stand on my head to read it  ;)

That's the snag with smart phones - turn 'em over and the picture stays the wrong way up ;D ;D

Mike

still not 333 and also not the MS 335 ???.

Bloomin computers. The Auto Italia article scanned upside down, I have it saved the right way up in my computer memory from which I posted the picture but it appears inverted again in the forum post. You just can't win.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1985-B-LANCIA-Y10-FIRE-4-SPEED-MANUAL/333495853039?hash=item4da5e6dfef:g:mQkAAOSwYOxeLur9

Guy

I spotted that too. It'll be interesting to see how much a Y10 can make. In general terms you'd say a car that good should be worth the money whatever it is but the biggest question is whether there is enough interest in Y10s for there to be a buyer out there. Mine wasn't far off that when I bought it for £450 and mine is a better equipped model. I may of course have to eat my words if you catch me turning up at next years AGM in it!

I wonder how much it would be if it had five speeds :-)

This bloke must have a time machine and gone back to 1985 to take those pictures...Eeh well mine will look like that soon!
Clarkey

I think my Y10 fire was 336 XKM, I'll look out the photos.
Brian
8227  8)

Motor road tested Y10 Turbo B331 XKM in the 22 June 1985 issue, Sports Car tested Y10 Turbo B335 YKK in August 1985, and Motor published a 'Brief Test' of a Y10 Fire in 23 November 1985, but I don't have a copy of the latter so cannot confirm a Reg Number.

The eBay car does have five speeds: I went to look at it yesterday as it's only a few miles from home.

It's a super little car, no blemishes that I could find on the paintwork apart from a chip on the wing-top under the bonnet (bare metal, but not rusty). There's a small scuff on the rear bumper, and a bit of alloy corrosion under the bonnet, but it does look like a two year-old car. The seller describes it as 'mechanically spot on', which I would dispute: the clutch pedal is sticky and probably needs a new cable, the brakes are spongy, again probably needs flushing and new fluid, the cambelt hasn't been changed in living memory, all the tyre are crazed and need replacing ... you get the idea! Basically it has been parked up and mechanically neglected, but a thorough service should sort it out - apart from the clutch and brakes, it drives really nicely.

It was registered by Lancar in August 1984, and sold through Tony Brooks to the only registered owner in October, so I doubt it was ever a road test car, but presumably was one of the first imports; I wonder why Lancar pre-registered it/

All in all, a lovely buy, but as has been pointed out, that's a lot of money for a Y10!

Having just replaced the rear brake flexi hose on my Y10 I suspect this one needs the back axle taking out and having its' one replaced. Being first sold by Tony Brooks is interesting as my Flaminia was first sold by his garage too.

Just spotted B333XKM for sale  by
 www classic wise Co. Uk
Y10 Fire 45.000 miles one owner looks really nice and £3995.00..
Brian
8227   8)

It's the one the thread is all about Brian. They are going to have to try every outlet they can find at that price I think. Note the lack of any mention of an MOT. Kevinlincs suggests it's not "ready to go" but has been immobile for years and more in need of recommissioning.

Thanks Frank,
I'd forgotten it was this one🙄
I think they'll have to try hard as well, haven't seen a Y10 fetch that sort of money for a long time.
Being that it's a business selling it, I assumed it was Mot'd, I might give them  a ring later.
Brian
8227  8)

It's not MOTd at the moment, although I would expect them to put a certificate on it if they were able to sell it at anywhere near that price!

An mot will be supplied when car sold,  rear brakes have been changed, new exhaust
system fitted, and will have service before sale.
It's near Newark on Trent and they were quite happy to answer,
Last on the road on 2017, since then ha been in their possession.
Brian
8227
 8)

That sounds rather more like it. Trade sellers usually put such things in their advert.

I see B333 XKM has popped up with yet another dealer, complete with the obligatory uplift of another £1,000, and with the 'possible Press Car' story now definite!

http://auto-union.co/list/car/

I somehow doubt they have found positive provenance for the story...

I think it is established that it was first owned by Lancia UK at about the time of the UK launch but I've not seen it actually in a press release. However, it is a pristine, low mileage, Y10 and £5,000 isn't really out of the way for such a good, entry level, classic. If you fancy a Y10 you'll struggle to find better. Even if you owned a fabulous exotic, you'd still find yourself taking the Y10 out because it's such an engaging, practical little car.

Agree fully there Frank, a stunning example, you'd get 13 of them for the price of that Mk2 Escort!
Know which I'd rather have  8)

Hi everyone!

My name is Andrea, I own this cutie since March! She is the best and she drives so well. 
I’m Italian and for me finding such a pristine example of a Y10 here with a Lancia badge was a dream.
It actually has 45000 miles, therefore I bought it with a good discount.
Still not cheap, but in Italy it would sell for at least double the price.

So weird how lots of people here in the Uk don’t know what it is!

 ;D

Congratulations, Andrea, it's a lovely car; I was sorely tempted three years ago when I test drove it, but in the end decided against it. I did quite a bit of research to try and prove, or otherwise, the Press Car story, and came to the conclusion that it probably wasn't. Lancar imported a batch of forty cars, presumably for distribution to their dealers; they were all pre-registered by Lancar with the registration numbers B301 XKM to B340 XKM, a mixture of Turbo and Fire models. All the numbers are still recorded on the DVLA site although most seem to have died in the mid-1990s.

Yes, did my research as well and it seems it was never used as a press car.
However it was pumped up with options just in case - like the original radio, the second mirror and the pre-production sunroof (different from the one available as standard option).
I looked at all the ones registered with her - such a shame almost all of them are gone!
However it’s probably one of the oldest original and untouched - which is amazing.
In Italy I think there are just 2 Fire older than this one - but both have huge mileage and have been restored.
I now found and bought a solid state instrument panel, which I’m not sure it was available as an option here in the Uk. Long term maybe I’ll find a way to install it (even if it’s practically super difficult!)