Lancia Motor Club

the Tour Britannia is a three day mix of rally stage and race track along the lines of the Tour de France with an entry of around seventy five cars including Ferrari 250 GTO, Aston Martin DB4 GT, Leightweight Jaguar E Type and two Lancias. The Fulvia 1.3 of the Graham Brothers and the Aprilia of Fred Gallagher and Simon Park. The route begins in Wales and heads into the West country tomorrow including Castle Coombe. Sunday is Prescott and a finish with a race at Silverstone. Route available at www.retro-speed.co.uk I'm on Cwmcarn Forest Drive, it's seven o'clock and raining. it's going to be a long day.

That's a lot of driving! Be cool to have a look along Weston toll road as it's about a mile from my parents and I have driven it lots of times (and used to race my R/C car in the woods when younger!). Interesting if they're going attempt Monk's Hill as it's very narrow, has a 180degree bend and is a 1 in 4 hill !!! :)

H'mmm I have just checked their roadbook and they DO go down the hill !

A quick update at the end of day one. After some typically Welsh atrocious weather the Fulvia of the Graham brothers is holding a terrific third place in the regularity category with the Aprilia eighth out of twenty nine cars still running. When I get home I'll post some images.

Images I hope

Freds Aprilia plus one extra that made standing in the rain worth while!

Couple more

At the end of day two both Lancias are in the top five of the regularity section. the Fulvia is second and the Aprilia fifth, they are split by a Ferrari 250 GTO and an ex-works Austin Healey 3000. Leading is a Talbot 105. The Graham brothers report no problems while Fred had his head under the bonnet of the Aprilia at Castle Combe. Tomorrow the cars visit five more venues including Prescott hill Climb and finish with Silverstone. Will add some more images if and when I ever get home.

Images from today, at the Badmington Stage and Castle Combe

When I finish this reportage tomorrow could someone with the tech skills, if possible, pass it on to Jack for inclusion in V/L ?

It's all over and the Graham brothers have scored a magnificent second place, just forty odd seconds behind the winner. The Aprilia of Fred Gallaher finished fifth and so for the first time in the history of the event, two Lancias made it into the top ten. We will have a full gallery and report up by tomorrow 17.00. In the meantime, it's champagne all round.

Excellent and thanks for following the event Peter.

Cant wait to see the report in the flesh (hopefully not issue 703!).

Tim

I managed to go down and see the stage in Weston-super-Mare , so when I get the chance I'll stick my 2 pictures up. Does anyone know the exact model of the Fulvia and Aprilia (series 2?) each so I can load them into the online database ?

Nice to watch the Escorts and Porsches giving it the beans and driving the Chervolet on wet roads with a 50ft drop into the sea on one side does take some guts - they were all quite audible!

The Fulvia is an S1 1300, I don't know if it is running a 1600 drivetrain and 5 speed box, but that's what it started life as. Can't help with the Aprillia I'm afraid :)

Full three day report and one hundred images now at www.retro-speed.co.uk

S'okay Neil as long as I know what it originally was, it can be modified to show what it's become in the database. The Aprilia I've classed as an S2 because of the running boards ... but that's as good as it gets !

Final images from event

It may be an S1 Lusso Aprilia. Ben would probably know.

Tim

Ah ... good idea , I shall ask him tomorrow !

Fred's Aprilia is a series 1 Lusso. I passed him at 7:30am on Thursday morning on the A4 near Hungerford as I was heading to the Sliding Pillar Rally in my Aurelia.

Thanks Ade :), database updated.