Recently I was able to visit Nigel Trow, a long-time Lancia friend and historian in Wales. He convened a lunch of several friends, whom I call the "West of England/Wales Lancia Brain Trust" including John Cundy, Ron Francis, Paul Mayo, Roland Grazebrook and spouses, among others. Also finally met John Baker, the former owner of an s.2 B20 - we had been in touch many years ago, so it was good to see him in person. It was rare to see everyone together - but having only known these folks for some 10-15 years, my experiences were decidedly junior to the rest of the table. Nigel and Roland have known each other since the mid-1960s, more than 50 years. The amount of Lancia knowledge at the table was daunting, rivaling other Lancia meetings in Italy. The next day, Nigel and I drove up to see Ron Francis, who Nigel has said is "a Welsh farmer who grows Lancias", with parts tucked away here and there; the following day we went to see Roland Grazebrook, to learn about Thetas, massive bronze carburetors, and the intricacies of the early cars. All good fun.
1 Comment
7/6/2024 05:38:23 am
It was fascinating to be surrounded by such a wealth of Lancia knowledge. While I may have only known these enthusiasts for a decade or so, it was clear they have a deep history together, some going back over 50 years! The amount they knew about Lancias rivaled anything I'd seen at meetings in Italy. It was a great chance to learn from the best, and I especially enjoyed visiting Ron's "farm" of Lancia parts and Roland's expertise on early Lancia cars.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
CategoriesArchives
July 2023
|