Lot Ended
Description
UK market RHD car with just one interesting owner from
new until 1995; expertly restored in 2002; modified for fast road and
track day use in 2014 at a cost of over £25k; 1,670cc engine upgrade; vast
history file; lots to love about this one!
Widely regarded
as the pinnacle of pre-war light car design, the Lancia Aprilia was the last car
masterminded by Vincenzo Lancia and was launched two months after his untimely
death in 1937. Embodying all the engineering brilliance and technical
sophistication for which Lancia had become famous in the preceding 30 years, it
boasted a combination of superb handling, performance and economy that was not
significantly bettered for decades.
The
streamlined shape of the pioneering monocoque body was no mere styling whim,
it was determined by wind tunnel experimentation, one of the very first
instances of this science being applied to a production car. It meant that
despite having only 48bhp from its 1,352cc V4 engine, this aerodynamic marvel
could carry five adults at 80mph with 30mpg economy, stopping and handling
better than anything in its class. Pillarless construction and ‘clamshell’ doors
not only looked great but ensured unrivalled ease of access.
Suspension was classic Lancia with sliding pillars at the front and
trailing arms at the rear incorporating a transverse leaf spring and torsion
bars. The hydraulically-actuated drum brakes (inboard at the rear) were also
outstanding for their time.
A Second Series
model with a slightly larger 1,486cc engine came out in 1939 and the Aprilia
remained in production until 1949 by which time just over 20,000 had been sold,
virtually all in RHD as was common in Italy at the
time.
Supplied new by Abbott of London
in August 1937, this Lancia Aprilia was reputedly first owned by
one Rodney Wilkinson, a much-decorated war hero who served with the
27th Lancers and was awarded the Military Cross while fighting in
Italy. There is an entertaining Daily Telegraph obituary on file and also a
letter Wilkinson wrote in 2003, the year before he died, reminiscing about
his time with the car.
A renowned portrait artist after the war
(Princess Mary was one of his sitters), he enjoyed Lucy, as the car was
affectionately known, right up until 1995 when his failing eyesight forced
him to give up driving, the mileage at this point being c.78,000, as documented
by no fewer than 37 old MOTs on file.
The
identity of the second owner isn’t clear, but he seems to have been a
Graham Somebody of Hampshire who kept Lucy for 10 years, having her
expertly restored by Lancia Club President John Savage in 2002, acknowledged to
be the leading Aurelia/Aprilia restorer in the UK.
From 2005 – 2013 Lucy was owned by a Mr L Sheldon of Aylesbury
who continued to look after her well, including much work by Omicron (bills
for £6k+), a new wool cloth headlining and the seats and door cards retrimmed
in top quality, butter-soft Oxford Blue hide.
The next owner was a Mr D Walker of Esher who acquired Lucy from
Vintage & Prestige of Hemel Hempstead in September 2013, the invoice showing
that she cost him £23,500. He promptly sent her to Auto-Design of
Surrey to be prepared for Historic rallying, a quick tot-up of the bills showing
that well over £25,000 was spent on the car in 2013/14.
Highlights include: strengthened floor pan; strengthened door lock
mechanisms; alloy sump guard; copper brake pipes re-routed internally; new
wiring loom and conversion to 12v negative earth electrics with uprated fuses,
relays etc; additional instruments on the dash and between the front seats
incorporating two 12v power sockets; battery master switch in the centre of the
dash; new wiper motor; map reading light; front spot lamps; front and rear
flashing indicators; additional central rear brake light; LED light bulbs; air
horns; fire extinguisher; complete new exhaust system; suspension overhaul;
gearbox work; wheels refurbed; new set of tyres; Nardi steering wheel; Mazda MX5
front seats retrimmed in soft Oxford Blue leather to match the existing trim
plus much else besides.
It seems that the car
was never actually rallied competitively, but did attend various club events and
track days, judging by documents and photos on file.
Our vendor acquired EGH 335 in September 2024 to join his collection
of interesting Vintage cars, but a much older Lancia has now stolen his
affections and he does not have space to store them all, hence the Aprilia’s
appearance in this sale.
Fitted
with a 1,670cc engine at some point in its life (as stated on the V5C), this
Aprilia comes with a large and interesting history file which will take the next
owner many happy hours to digest. Documentation includes an original handbook,
an album of undated photos showing the car before it was retrimmed (probably
from the early 2000s) five CDs of photos and maintenance manuals dating
from Mr Sheldon’s ownership plus much useful technical literature relating to
the model. The original blue leather seats are also included (see last
photo).
As you can see in the photos and the
video, this expertly restored and uprated Aprilia is in great shape for an
89-year-old and has been starting instantly and running very nicely indeed as we
have moved her around on site.
On offer here
at a fraction of the costs lavished upon her to date, Lucy now seeks
an enthusiastic sixth owner who can reap the rewards of all the good work so
recently carried out and add their own chapter to her fascinating life
story.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970
309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com