Lancia in the war

[frankxhv773t]

Pondering the photos the old News Sheet post I googled Lancia and Maidenhead.

Fascinatingly one item that came up was the Motorsport archive with many Lancia references in June 1942.
At the risk of starting a whole deluge of new posts and consuming vast amounts of my Parisian namesake's time the web address is;

 http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1942/18/750-club

I trust the editor of today's magazine will forgive my providing some tasters from page 18.

"750 CLUB
The 750 Club meeting at the "Osterley" on May 3rd went over big, as usual, many useful contacts being made, much motoring conversation indulged in, and, best of all, George Monkhouse showed his inimitable films of Grand Prix racing of the 1935-38 period.
There is no gainsaying the value of these meetings as a break from the monotony or excitement of war-effort existence, and everyone who attends hopes that Secretary Capon will be able to hold meetings, reachable by public transport, after 'Poor-for-fun has ceased to happen. On May 3rd, Potter was passenger in a very beautiful "Le Mans" Model Meadows H.R.G., Gordon Woods brought his immaculate Gough-engined Frazer-Nash, and Frost, Orlebar, Bowles and Birkett their " Ulster " Austin Sevens, the first named of this contingent having his blown car out. An M.G. Magna, Ballamy's Marshall-supercharged Ford Ten "Special," Ashwood's LeaFrancis, Ward's Riley Nine and Boddy's vintage, shortened, open Lancia " Lambda " added flavour to the car park.
Indeed, not many passenger seats were wasted, Jenkinson coming in the tonneau of the Lancia, Butler with Ballamy, Laurence with Harmer, and so on.

WE HEAR. . . .
Ian Metcalfe is "at home" to enthusiasts most Saturday afternoons at Shepperton, and Cecil Clutton, D. B. Tubbs, Rodney Clarke, Tom Bowen, Anthony Brooke and Anthony Heal have been amongst his visitors.
There is, or was, a 3-litre Bentley engine at Freshwater's Bicester, and an Invieta coupe and a " 30/98 " O.E. Vauxhall chassis, less wheels and radiator, lie outside Fareham, on the Bishops iValtham road. Two 4i-litre Bentleys and a "Red Label " 3-litre have been seen at a " blitzed " garage in Portsmouth and a 135 Lancia " Artena " saloon in a garage at Granada Road, Southsea.

[frankxhv773t]

I accidently clicked "post" too soon. There is more....

"We hear that Deacon's r;arage, near Oxford, has a 750-c.c. " Montlhery " M.G. Midget, with cracked head, for sale. for 230. h.:. ssini has asked us to state that ,he and her husband were 14.9t responsible for the auction sale at " The Phcenix," and their Lancia " Dilambda " was not sold for 21 as was rumoured. This fine car, capable of 90-92 m.p.h. and 17 m.p.g. in saloon form, they still have, together with a beautiful Eighth Series Lancia " Lambda " tourer, a "30/98 " Vauxhall, a Type 38 Bugatti and the Plicenix" Special." Tim Carson is now abroad, on R.A.F. flying duties, and sports a grand moustache. Robert Newell has very thoroughly reconditioned a longchassis Sixth Series Lancia " Lambda " tourer, and Boddy is running a cut-down1926 Sixth Series acquired not long ago from it. J. Kellie. Gordon Woods mounts an auto-cycle when not driving his Goughengined Frazer-Nash and is said to be acquiring a Frazer-Nash "Six "—perhaps with B.M.W. engine—in its stead, and Mrs. Cowell is getting a remarkable fuel consumption from a 1928 magnetoignition " Chummy" Austin Seven. The "-` Trikappa "-engined Lancia " Lambda " built up by West and Chittenden about 1934-5 lies in a Maidenhead breaker's in poor order, following a very bad head-on crash, which has even damaged the engine.

GENERAL NOTES
After pressing the Gwynne into use for beta journeys, following the demise of the Jowett--and how many 17-year-old small ears will commence instantly after weeks of idleness ?—we departed to London and thence to Cambridge, in first an uncomfortable, and then an uncomfortable and slow, train, intent on acquiring a Laneia "Lambda," which happening certain friends, for some obscure reason, refer to as " The Reform." After a longish walk past the immortal "backs," the old car—a 1926 Sixth Series with shortened chassis and open touring body-was located, petrol Was poured into the autovae and she ran well enough, except for a persistent misfire, due to a low fuel head, after a change of plugs. Followed ahectic last run on the part, 4 )f the owner to a garage to get petrol, his friend's " Special " Austin Seven Iwing left just sufficiently far enough behind to satisfy, the cornering being immense, the cheque was written and off we went.. London came up as dusk descended and we barreled happily along the once-familiar Hendon Way with the sidelamps alight, already very intrigued by the crisp exhaust note, the easy 50-60 111.1).11. cruising, speed, the splendid and light steering and the general character of the car. After she was garaged there was a lwetie search for accommodation in an hotel-less Metropolis, a very courteous policeman in Baker Street Station eventually finding us what we desired, whereupon my friend was promptly mistaken by the night porter as a taxidriver I Arising not too early the next morning, it was pleasant to walk into the Lex Garage, remove the " Lambda from amongst the closely-packed boxes and drive home easily via the Hyde Park and Nott ing Hill Gate one once knew so well. That afternoon warm sunshine tempted further Motoring, but the petrol thirst of the new possession made discretion necessary, albeit we did dice a few Miles to enquire about another finely rebuilt Sixth Series " Lambda" which lives locally and has since led to a most interesting meeting with its owner. Since, then sonic 300 oflieial miles have had to be covered inn the Lancia and she has gone very well all( nit this business : mercifully the weather Was fine eVelry t iuulo. as I here is no weather protect ion and no wiper on the fold-flat, scree IL Incidentally, the ininil)Cr of the Editorial motor-car is PX4213, if this should be seen by any former owner—and there have 'welt plenty I Another Saturday tlw faithful Gwynne did some 90 miles, in the course of which sow interesting cars were seen, and in the evening after suell runs an old but potent Norton motor-cycle ha.s proferred its pillion, that the day could be properly rounded off or food sought. It was on one of these occasions that some useful Lancia spares were located locally and Fee Carson and Joan Passini met quite by chance."

All spelling is as per the web page.

Those were the days!

[ColinMarr]

That's amazing - what a wealth of good stuff there must be in the Motor Sport archive - thank you for finding it. Note the reference to Lambda PX4213 then owned by Bill Boddy, MS Editor, which has recently been mentioned on this forum. Also the reference to the Phoenix, which still features in the Lambda world, both the garage and the pub.

I can't resist including a photo or two - these are from a Lambda gathering at the Phoenix in 2013.

Colin