Harry Manning

[Richard Fridd]

Here is a Scuderia Manning letter heading/bill from the Michael Clarke collection.Michael writes-This must be from around 1971/2 because that is when I purchased my first RHD Flaminia Touring FHC (2500 3c) with water coming out of the exhausts.Do the liners still lift or has this been overcome?We rebuilt the engine,Harry had someone that machined the piston -lands away to take a 4 or 5 mmtop ring,which saved buying pistons,but until run in the rings made a distinct clicking/tapping against the top ridge worn in the cylinder liners by the old rings.We went over to Lancia at Alperton in the 4th series B20 and I paid an absolute fortune for genuine valve guides.they must have been delighted to have moved the old stock at top price!!Harry could have unfortunately supplied used valve guides or new pattern parts,so I must have returned these.  On the Harry Manning chapter from 'Lancia in England' Michael writes-What a great picture complete with string round his waist,just as I remember him.It was Lancia Alperton that told us about Harry.First time we arrived,we went in and hung around for about an hour.Then someone who knew more went upstairs and got Harry to come down.He had a stripped Flaminia Zagato up on a ramp which I thought was just fantastic and inspired me to buy my 'Silver Machine'(more of the Silver Machine  to come in a  Flaminia thread)Pictures in the entrance showed maybe Harry's father(sitting on a chair?)With a young Harry one side and presumably a brother on the other side.several 'racey' pics showing a night time romp by the light of some Lancia headlights.Not pornographic but titillating. Letterheading/bill is from the Michael Clarke collection.                                          

[Richard Fridd]

More memories from Michael-I seem to remember Harry was a tea-totaller and didn't smoke.my father always said it was the fumes from the stove that killed Harry,who was nobody's fool,appeared disorganised,and often put his palm to his forehead to remember where things were.Great days at Scuderia Manning.My father was probably the first Riley specialist post-war with premises on the A20 in South London.I understand Harry knew Mike and Leslie Hawthorn.Mike started his 4-wheel competition with his fathers Rileys and my father met Mike once or twice.I think Harry took to us because of this connection.We went over once in the 1936 Riley Sprite which I still own,and I have a clear mental picture of Harry in the driving seat with dad alongside-I think Harry took it round the block.Harry told me he was in Winchester a while for black-market juice either during or just post WW2,but I have not heard that from any other source.When you walked into his building entrance,he had some interesting personal pictures on the wall-I hope someone has kept them.I imagine that the pump-station above Harry's on the corner owned the whole site? Or maybe Harry's family owned or had owned the site and Harry got his excellent premises as part of the deal?Harry used to get his grub from the pub up the hill/slope on his right hand side of the road.Hope this is of interest.

[davidwheeler]

Harry was inordinately proud of his appearance on the "Nudes of the World" (just read it phonetically) as a seducer of young ladies.  considering his unprepossessing appearance and that of his premises this was indeed an achievement!  He had the article posted on the wall.

[Justin McArdle]

Some more memories - I was down at Harry's place one Sunday Evening (approx. 1985?) with a friend to collect their Fulvia Coupe. We collected the Fulvia and were making our way back to London via the M3. I was in a Transit van and the Fulvia was two cars behind me with a VW Golf immediately behind me. As we approached the slip road onto the M3 I saw a familiar Fulvia wheel bounce over the following VW Golf and fly past me! The wheel had come off the rear of the Fulvia. It appeared that the wheel bolts were loose/missing and the wheel had wrenched the hub out at an angle. We retrieved the wheel and gave Harry a call and fortunately, one of the guys at Harry's came out to our rescue. Years later I was recounting the story to Chris Payne and he was sure he was at Harry's that very night. Small world!