Description
With four-wheel brakes, independent front suspension and V4 overhead camshaft engine, many enthusiasts view the Lancia Lambda as one of the great automobiles of all time. The Lambda was also successful in competition with privately entered cars finishing fourth and fifth behind the works OMs in the first Mille Miglia of 1927.
The Lambda was continually developed through nine series of cars with the 8th and 9th series receiving a larger 2, 570cc engine and four-speed gearbox.
A letter on file from Australian Lancia guru Bill Jamieson confirmed chassis 15186 had a production date of 17th April 1926 and was originally fitted with a Weymann body on a short chassis.
A copy of the continuation buff logbook shows a continual chain of ownership from 1952 when it was in the hands of a Dr. Neil Hendry CBE of Dunecht, Aberdeen. The car had a shortened chassis and roadster-style appearance at this time and was registered AG 1439, an Ayrshire registration dating from 1926. To take advantage of a reduction in road fund licence Dr. Hendry had the Lambda re-registered to HAV 444 in 1952.
In 1953 the Lambda was sold to Surgeon Lieutenant Dr. Alexander Chisholm, also of Aberdeen, before the car was discovered in 1966 in a scrapyard in Brockenhurst by arch Lancia enthusiast Pat Ure.
Ure sold the car shortly afterwards to Roland Grazebrook, another Lancia Motor Club stalwart who in turn sold it in 1970 to long-term owner John Vessey of Buxton, Derbyshire. The car was in a poor state but Vessey was primarily interested in its shortened-chassis and had independent engineer Arthur Maries of Sheffield rebuild it a competition car. As with many of the earlier Lambdas 15186 has been fitted with a more powerful 8th series engine and four-speed gearbox to optimise performance.
Once the rebuild was complete Vessey campaigned the Lambda successfully in many VSCC events between 1974 and 2006 appearing at famous motorsport venues such as Silverstone, Goodwood, Donington, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Prescott, Shelsey Walsh and Curborough. Vessey also entered the Lambda in the Pomeroy Trophy gaining a 3rd in class in 1975.
Vessey went on to own the car for some forty-five years and after his passing in 2015 was acquired by leading Lancia collector and former Lancia Motor Club president Gerald Batt of Surrey in 2015.
The current owner purchased the car from Batt in 2022 and set about a recommissioning program to ready the car for participation in the Lancia Lambda Centenary drive to the Lancia family home in Fobello, Italy.
The car was comprehensively serviced and the brakes overhauled. Front hub bearings were replaced and the starter motor was rebuilt. The fuel pump and fuel lines were replaced and the fuel tank professionally cleaned and checked. New vintage-style lights were fitted along with discreet front indicators and finally the wheels were checked over and powder-coated before a set of new 19 inch tyres were fitted.
With VSCC eligibility and short-chassis this sporting Lambda represents an attractive and exciting proposition and a ticket for entry into many domestic and international competitive events.
