From £1k to £250k – Lancias available at #76MM

One of the most innovative marques in the history of the automobile, Lancias were certainly the cars to have in the 1930s. It was with a group of Lancia-owning friends that the 9th Duke of Richmond, Freddie March, held Goodwood’s first Hillclimb up past the house in 1936.

Alas, Lancia has come to an ignominious end – its only model now is an Italy-only supermini – but thanks to people like the late Brinley ‘Brin’ Edwards cherished examples from the marque’s glory days live on.

The 10 Lancias from the Brin Edwards collection that Bonhams will be auctioning at the Motor Circuit on Sunday date from 1931 to 1992 and range in price estimate from £1000 to £250,000. It’s an eclectic group that comprises rare classics, Brin’s everyday driver, a project car, a Lancia used for weddings and even a replica, all reflecting the owner’s enthusiasm for the marque. All the cars have been maintained by the collection's in-house mechanic, Brian, but they haven’t been driven for a while and will need re-commissioning before going back on the road. 

The cars are being sold without reserve, and all proceeds (except those from the Aurelia B24) will go to the RSPCA.

1956 Lancia Aurelia B24 Convertible

Exceptional engineering meets superlative design – no wonder B24 Convertibles are among the most highly-regarded cars of the 1950s. Lancia’s Aurelia innovations included monocoque construction, alloy V6 engine, independent front suspension, and rear transaxle with de Dion suspension, all set off perfectly by a body regarded by many as a Pinin Farina masterpiece. The left-drive B24S is a Convertible, so a follow-up to the earlier and rarer B24 Spider, but it’s said to be a more practical car and still one of only 521 made.  Bonhams says its restoration needs detail finishing. Price guide: £200-250,000.

1931 Lancia Lambda 8th-Series Saloon

Any Lambda – the world’s first monocoque car – represents an automotive milestone, but a 2.5-litre eighth-series car like this one is particularly sought-after. One of the last Lambdas made, its overhead-cam V4 engine and independent front suspension offered a drive unmatched by anything else in its class at the time. Restored in the 1980s but last driven in 2013, its price guide is £60-80,000.

1935 Lancia Belna Saloon

The rare Belna was what the Lancia Augusta was known as in France, where it was built at Lancia’s first factory outside Italy. Like its larger Lambda sibling, the Belna was powered by a vee engine – a 1196cc four – and featured Lancia's trademark independent front suspension for a combination that so impressed Freddie March, the then Duke of Richmond, that he designed a stylish Augusta March Special convertible version of it. The car here is a saloon with a history of being driven in rallies and even used a wedding car. It was laid up in 2013. Price guide: £18-22,000.

1979 Lancia Stratos Replica by Hawk

Yes, it’s a replica but doesn’t it look good (rather more Stratos-like than the new re-creation unveiled at the Geneva show). And also unlike the new one, this is at least Lancia-based, there being Beta 1600 coupe running gear under that aggressive wedge of Bertone-like body. The engine is the Beta’s 2.0-litre supercharged Volumex unit. The car was made from a Hawk kit in 1996 and was last used five years ago. Price guide: £18-22,000.          

1972 Lancia Fulvia HF1600 Coupé

It’s the Stratos and Delta Integrale’s forebear and the car that put Lancia on the road to world rally success. The Fulvia here is one of 3690 roadgoing versions of the HF1600 coupe, the ultimate expression of the Fulvia. The HF1600 came with a 1584cc engine producing 115bhp in road trim, or, as the works rally car, 165bhp. Brin Edwards bought this one in 1986 and the car is said to have been recently driven. Price guide: £14-18,000.

1954 Lancia Appia saloon

Most Lancias manufactured up to the mid-1960s were right-drive – the logic was rhd made it easier for drivers to see the road’s edge on Alpine passes – and this Appia is one of them. Advanced running gear is matched by body styling similar to that of the bigger Aurelia, and like the prewar Augusta, the front doors are hinged forwards, the rears aft, and there is no central pillar for easy access. First registered in the UK in 1994 but stored since 2011. Price guide: £10-12,000. 

1970 Lancia Rallye 1.3 S Coupé

Brin Edwards had this rare UK-supplied, right-hand drive Fulvia Rallye Coupe since 1990, the car having just one previous owner. The car is one of the last Series 1 Coupes and as an S version is fitted with the overhead-cam narrow-angle V4 with 92bhp going to the front wheels. Last used in 2013 it’s thought the Fulvia has covered 2000 miles over the past 10 years, with total mileage now 52,000. Price guide: £8-10,000

1984 Lancia Beta VX Coupé

It’s thought that as few as 150 Beta coupes in right-drive, 135bhp 2.0-litre supercharged form made it into the UK through the ‘70s – the Beta, first Lancia under Fiat ownership, had its share of troubles in the UK you may remember. Not driven for the past 13 years and with the odometer showing 37,000 miles. Price guide: £8-10,000.

1946 Lancia Ardea saloon project

Few cars make worthier restoration candidates than a Lancia and the Ardea, like the  Aprilia before it, is as worthy as they come for the contribution it made to the car as we know it today. Some repairs have been made to the chassis, says Bonhams, but otherwise the car requires full restoration. Price guide: £2-3000.

1992 Lancia Y10 hatchback

Even Lancia fanatics need an everyday car and for Brin Edwards this Y10 was it. Fiat-engined and distinctive looking, the Y10 was  popular in Italy though rare over here.  The car is said to have been running well when driven into storage in 2015, with just 18,000 miles on the clock. Price guide: £1-2000.