THORNLEY KELHAM RESTORES THREE ULTRA-RARE LANCIA FLAMINIA ZAGATOS

THORNLEY KELHAM RESTORES THREE ULTRA-RARE LANCIA FLAMINIA ZAGATOS

Cotswolds-based classic car restoration specialist, Thornley Kelham, have completed extensive nut-and-bolt restoration work on three ultra-rare Lancia Flaminia Zagatos. Only 526 Flaminia Zagatos were built between 1959 and 1967, and not only has Thornley Kelham restored these three, but it also has a further two currently being completed in its state-of-the-art workshops, and another for sale.

With in-house bodywork, paint, engine and fabrication shops, Thornley Kelham is widely regarded for the quality of its restorations of historically significant, often unique vehicles. Having restored a number of rare Lancia models in the past, including perhaps the most famous Lancia in the world, the ex-Bracco Aurelia B20GT, Thornley Kelham has over 10 years of top-end restoration expertise.

Lancia Flaminia Zagato production spanned eight years and four evolutions and – in Zagato’s Centenary Year – is still widely regarded as one of the carrozzeria’s most beautiful designs, featuring classic sporting lines and the iconic double-bubble roof. With disc brakes all-round on later models, and fully independent front suspension it was renowned for its excellent balance and superb on-road manners.

Prior to the restoration work of the three Flaminia Sport Zagatos, Thornley Kelham commissioned 3D Engineers to scan a Zagato, from which a buck was produced. This enabled the team to make new or repair existing skins for all future Flaminia Zagatos that may arrive. The svelte aluminium body panels are enormously delicate and intricately shaped, making the creation of new panels challenging work.

There were three generations of Zagato-bodied Flaminias. The earliest cars, numbering 199, were single carburettor models, the first 99 of which had cowled headlamps. This design changed to open headlamps in 1960 due to revised Italian traffic regulations. This lead to:

The second evolution of the Flaminia, the Sport 3C, which is virtually identical to its predecessor but with three carburettors (3C) fitted to its 2.5-litre V6 engine. Power surged from 119bhp to 140bhp thanks to this change and a total of 152 models were produced. Two of the cars restored were from this period.

The final, and latest, example of the triumvirate is a one-of-33 Flaminia Sport 3C 2.8 model, produced in 1963. These latter cars were fitted with a bored-out version of the 2.5-litre engine, taking total displacement to 2.8 litres, boosting power to 150bhp. This particular car is arguably unique, being fitted with the covered headlights of the early  Series I Flaminias.

But Flaminia Zagato development didn’t stop with the 3C 2.8. In 1964, Lancia released the Super Sport variant, radically updated, featuring a new Kamm Tail design and a strengthened version of the 2.8-litre engine, complete with bigger carburettors. Only 150 examples were produced, and Thornley Kelham is currently carrying out extensive restoration work on two of them. 

A further Flaminia Super Sport Zagato is currently being offered for sale by Thornley Kelham, complete with its original 2.8-litre engine and upgrades including adjustable Zagato-style seats with lumbar support, custom stainless-steel exhaust system with stainless-steel headers, Amadori-style 15” magnesium alloy wheels, auxiliary electric fan, and a dynator. The braking system has been largely rebuilt with upgraded front calipers. For more information see the website: www.thornleykelham.com

FROM MORIBUND TO MILLE MIGLIA - THORNLEY KELHAM RESURRECTS DERELICT LANCIA FOR WORLD’S PREMIER CLASSIC RALLY

FROM MORIBUND TO MILLE MIGLIA - THORNLEY KELHAM RESURRECTS DERELICT LANCIA FOR WORLD’S PREMIER CLASSIC RALLY

 A 1953 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Series 3 has been given a new lease of life by leading restoration specialists Thornley Kelham. The previously decaying classic has been taken from an almost unsalvageable restoration condition to factory fresh over a two-and-a-half-year period and has now been accepted into arguably the most prestigious classic car rally of all – the Mille Miglia.

Having restored a considerable number of Aurelias in the past, Thornley Kelham’s expertise in, and understanding of these models and their intricacies enabled their team to resurrect a vehicle that many others would have deemed beyond restoration.

The 1953 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Series 3 was discovered in incredibly poor condition in the USA, with a staggering amount of rust plaguing the car. The usual rust points of these vehicles - namely floor pans, sills and door bottoms – had been totally ravaged by years left exposed to the elements. So severe was the problem that even the top of the wings had rusted through, the transmission tunnel had completely eroded, and the body required strengthening prior to being media blasted as the car had so little structural integrity.

Despite the condition of the vehicle, Thornley Kelham’s customer was determined to see the Aurelia resurrected and play his part in saving this rare car. The tired body was fully restored, in many cases by fabricating entirely new panels. A considerable portion of the lower body had to be fabricated whilst maintaining factory curvatures and shut lines, amongst myriad other repairs before moving onto Thornley Kelham’s paintshop to be prepared and painted in the original beige colour, as per the factory build sheet.

Given the owner’s aspirations to compete in the Mille Miglia, and the awful condition of the original seat frames, Thornley Kelham fabricated a set of its Rally De Corsa style seats and also carried out a common period competition upgrades of a Nardi floor shift, Nardi bonnet scoop and Nardi twin carburettors and Borrani “bi-metallic” wheels. Every component of the car was restored or replaced over a period of two and a half years, with the end result being a box fresh and period correct Aurelia – a far cry from the condition it entered the TK facility in.

Once completed, the owner’s maiden journey in the resurrected Aurelia was a 500-mile weekend of fault-free driving, testament to the thorough road testing and quality checks carried out prior to delivery. The next adventure for the car will be Mille Miglia. Thornley Kelham will provide a dedicated support team throughout the event with two mechanics allocated to the car at all times, allowing the owner to fully focus on the joy of driving and ensuring the car remains in superb order throughout the gruelling event.

THE HERITAGE HUB: AN INNOVATIVE SPACE DISPLAYING THE GLORIOUS STORY OF FCA’S HERITAGE

THE HERITAGE HUB: AN INNOVATIVE SPACE DISPLAYING THE GLORIOUS STORY OF FCA’S HERITAGE

Today sees the opening of the Heritage HUB, in the fluid and creative space of the FCA Heritage department. This recreated site is not simply intended to provide a modern and stimulating work setting: it works as a multi-purpose space designed to offer a narration linked to a historic territory, where FCA Heritage can best express its mission: the preservation and promotion of FCA’s heritage of classic Italian brands.

The Heritage HUB opens in an evocative but highly evolved building, where interaction and connectivity add a new look to the glorious history of Fiat, Lancia and Abarth – the brands most closely linked to the Turin area – and also of Alfa Romeo. It is set in the former Officina 81 site in Via Plava, part of the huge industrial area of Mirafiori, a historic mechanical manufacturing complex.

The original building has been subjected to a careful conservative restoration which respects its industrial nature: the historic mustard and green colours, the cement flooring and the latticework effect of countless metal pillars. The HUB contains all FCA Heritage’s services and product activities, and the exclusive display space for the “Reloaded by Creators” project, which certifies and restores all the original beauty of many vintage models, and prepares them for sale. The most thrilling surprise, however, comes from an overwhelming display of cars: the 15,000 m2 of the Heritage HUB has over 250 vehicles on show.

These are authentic jewels of the FCA Heritage collection – some never before exhibited – which transform this place into an educational and emotional temple: not so much a traditional museum space as a three-dimensional archive in constant growth, and an incubator of ideas to be enjoyed on guided tours. The central area features eight thematic exhibitions, each of which highlights eight cars from different eras and brands: the oldest dating back to 1908, and the most modern to 2008.

This display will soon be open to the public, and on the occasion of its press presentation on the 2nd of April, it makes its debut on the portal in FCA Heritage the new “Brand” section, which describes brand histories in terms of industrial development, logo evolution, key contributors and key models.

Theme Areas

Archistars

This theme area focuses on motorcar architecture when a new project was significant above all for the functional and manufacturing needs it was designed to satisfy. The Lancia Lambda is a prime example. It was the first car in the world based on a supporting unibody, the pride of Vincenzo Lancia and the Lancia Flavia, the first Italian model equipped with front-wheel drive and disc brakes on all four wheels. Numerous Fiat creations designed for the family are featured: from the Fiat 500 Topolino A designed by Dante Giacosa on his debut to the 600 – the family car par excellence in the years of the Italian economic boom -– up to the Fiat Panda and Uno, two of the most important modern utility successes. These are all cars which have remained in the collective imagination because they represent original and innovative developments, examples of creative expression plus constantly evolving methods and techniques.

Concept and Personalised cars

The cars collected in this section show original bodywork and fittings and shift between dream car utopias and the more concrete dimension of concept cars and custom-built cars, part of Italian body shops’ tradition of creating personalised and unique cars. This thematic island therefore boasts some very different examples: the Fiat 130 Familiar and Panda Rock Moretti – both of which belonged to members of the Agnelli family – featuring highly special fittings on standard models which also modified usage options, the Abarth 2400 Coupé Alemanno by Carlo Abarth, and the precious Lancia Astura Farina and Flaminia Coupé Loraymo.

Eco and Sustainable

Spotlight on the Fiat Group projects which since the early 1970s have prioritised environmental issues, with the aim of creating vehicles that limit their ecological impact during manufacture, use and disposal. Following an approach focused on the economy of use and optimised production methods, Fiat has carried out research programs which have led to the development of solutions and technologies and then gradually transferred them to its entire range. Prototypes of compact electric cars also stand out, such as the X1/23 of 1974 and the Ecobasic of 1999, an engineering jewel in terms of both engines and components.

Epic Journeys

A motorcar is not just a simple means of transport: over the decades, driving has acquired an anthropological dimension, evoking ideas of freedom and independence. Driving by car can mean escape, adventure, thirst for knowledge but also challenge and competition. Achieving new driving feats is the best way to check the functionality of each model and its components: it tests its operation under extreme conditions, prevents possible anomalies and demonstrates its reliability. This section includes a selection of cars which have been protagonists of extraordinary adventures: for example the Fiat Campagnola AR 51 that drove the length of Africa from Cape Town to Algiers in 1952 in a record 11 days, or the Fiat 1100 E which in 1953 completed the first single-driver around the world tour, covering over 72,000 kilometres. Then there was the Fiat 124S which in 1970 reached the North Cape in 50 days from Cape Town, the Fiat 131 Abarth Diesel that in 1977, before its commercial launch, won the London-Sydney raid. Or the Lancia Delta HF Integral Group A winner with Miki Biasion and Tiziano Siviero of the Safari Rally in 1988, and the 500 Overland which in 2008 retraced the path of the iconic "Beijing-Paris" event, following the Overland caravan.

Records and Races

Competition has always been an ongoing stimulus for designers and technicians: to achieve ever higher levels of performance, to develop more efficient and reliable engines and mechanical and electronic devices, and to refine bodywork aerodynamics. This section features cars that have left their mark through participation in speed and duration races or achieved successful attempts at breaking world records. The two oldest cars, the Fiat S61 and the 12HP "Alfa" Sport – a competition version of the first car built by Lancia – were both produced in 1908. Alongside these models is a Formula 1 Lancia D50, three of the most glorious record-setting cars built by Abarth in the 1950s and 1960s and two Endurance race champions: the Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo and the LC2.

Small and Safe

A theme on which both Fiat and Lancia brands have always worked since the early 20th century. For example, in 1933 the introduction of the supporting unibody on the Lancia Augusta – the first closed car in the world to adopt this revolutionary patent – contributed to an increase in torsional rigidity and greater safety in the event of a collision. The same innovative architecture was used in the Lancia Ardea, produced from 1939, and combined with independent front wheel suspension, thus further benefitting road holding and dynamic performance. Fiat’s research into safe and compact cars can be seen in various interesting prototypes such as the Fiat City Taxi (1968), a vehicle for public use with an unusual asymmetrical lateral flank, and the ESV 1500 and ESV 2000 models, both specifically designed to analyse safety and resistance in the event of a collision.

Style Marks

This section contains various cars from different eras which, thanks to their characteristics and personalities, effectively expressed the identity of their respective brands at the time, introducing innovative stylistic contents which later became widely shared trends. In other words, cars that have become part of the collective imagination, representing milestones and key references in the field of motorcar design. The Lancia Aurelia B20 stands out as an archetype of the Gran Turismo touring sedans, foreshadowing the "vintage" phenomenon through its renewal of past forms and typologies, as in the case of the Fiat Barchetta.

The Rally Era

Rally is a discipline that excites millions of enthusiastic followers all over the world, attracted by the audacity of pilots as they conjure up speed and dexterity in extreme conditions, from snowy peaks to arid deserts. These adverse conditions have made the world of motor rallies a tough and selective testing ground for the most ambitious technological challenges. Naturally, the Lancia, Fiat and Abarth brands have never shied away from these challenges, and have carved their names on the most prestigious winner’s trophies. This Heritage HUB theme area, therefore, boasts the Lancia Fulvia HF 1600, which won the 1972 Monte Carlo Rally, the futuristic Stratos HF, the victorious Delta HF and the Fiat 124 Abarth Rally and 131 Abarth Rally.

THORNLEY KELHAM OFFERS STUNNING FULLY-RESTORED LANCIA AURELIA B20GT SERIES III

THORNLEY KELHAM OFFERS STUNNING FULLY-RESTORED LANCIA AURELIA B20GT SERIES III

Cotswolds-based concours restoration specialist Thornley Kelham is proud to offer this beautiful Lancia Aurelia B20GT Series III for sale. With over 1,200 man hours spent on metalwork alone, no detail has been overlooked in returning the car to its original glory.

As restoration specialists with an expert understanding of the intricacies of the Lancia marque, Thornley Kelham has revived this Series III to exacting factory standards - with exceptional attention to detail. Finished in its factory-original shade of ‘Amaranto’, with cream wheels and a light grey interior, this concours-worthy classic also has the desirable upgrade of a ‘Nardi’ floor change transmission.

Thornley Kelham has carried out some of the most renowned Lancia restorations in recent years and is particularly known in Aurelia circles for two ends of the restoration scale – the unique period Mille Miglia/Le Mans racer of Giovanni Bracco, and the now-famous limited-edition Lancia Aurelia ‘Outlaw’.

As industry leaders in Lancia restoration, Thornley Kelham restores and rebuilds concours-winning vehicles within its 32,000sq/ft workshop based near Cirencester. With purpose-built engine, metalwork and paint shops, the restoration team is able to carry out every last detail of any restoration to exacting standards. Covering over half-a-century of automotive history, Thornley Kelham’s restorations routinely see them revive vehicles as varied as 1920’s W.O Bentleys (3, 4½, 6.5 or 8 litre) and a Mercedes Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’.

Lancia only manufactured 720 examples of the Series III, with this car being one of the last twenty.  According to the original logbook, this Series III Aurelia was imported into the UK in January 1963, having originally been registered in Italy. All numbers match to this document, as does the specification of the car.

The previous owner collected the car post-restoration and immediately embarked on a 2000 mile-round Alpine trip; returning the car for its first service with only a minor oil leak. The car has been tried and tested throughout its post-restoration life and has proved itself as a reliable and capable Aurelia as they were in period. An incredibly advanced vehicle when launched, Thornley Kelham’s extensive experience in, and understanding of, all series of these innovative cars gives them the knowledge to set them up perfectly.

Having covered just over 5,000 miles since the restoration, and following a recent service, this 1953 B20GT is the perfect automobile for grand touring, classic rallying and more. This stunning Aurelia one of six classic Lancias currently available at Thornley Kelham, full details of which can be found here: http://www.thornleykelham.com/sales/1954-lancia-aurelia-b20gt-series-4/