RD Poore / Lancia ? (not Alfa)

Hi all,

While rooting around on the 'net for info on Poore, I came across the following mention referring to Poore on velocetoday.com, posted a few months ago I believe but with no follow-up information given.

Does anyone know about the Lancia-powered car referred to below, seen sat inside the Dodge truck circa 1960? I met both of Poore's mechanics some years back (both now sadly RIP), but neither mentioned a Lancia being hauled by the truck at any point, just the Alfa, the A-Type, and a DB3. Perhaps he was just storing the car for a while for a friend? or was it something he was considering racing at some point? And what happened to it?

Quote from a post on velocetoday:
"Back in 1960, or so, we ran the Jack o’Lantern on the edge of the New Forest. Nearby at Nursling, Southampton was the family home of Dennis Poore whilst his ex racing mechanic ran a Forest garage at Bramshaw . This was Sten (Tammy) Aberg who took me over to Nursling where the famous 3.8 Alfa Romeo resided in company with a totally original 1912 Argyll of near ecclesiastical proportions. This now in the Beaulieu Museum (?)
Outside was the Dodge transporter used to transport the A-R 3.8 in it’s heyday. I climbed in to this fine beast of burden to find a Special with a Lancia engine mounted amidships, the propshaft running forward between the driver’s legs (ouch !) in the fashion of the Bell Airacobra from WW2.
I have not heard of this since, and Tammy was evasive about it’s fate!"

All info on this car welcomed

Thanks, Richard.

I knew I had seen something along these lines, took me a while to find it...

In issue #4, 1973, of American Lancia Club magazine, there is an article which briefly describes the "Perkins Special", which was built by Eddie Perkins in Australia. It featured an 8th Series Lancia Lambda engine mounted directly behind the drivers seat. I don't think it had the transmission in the front, so it wouldn't have had a propshaft running forward. There is a picture of the car with Hank Elfrink, the author of this article, in the drivers seat.

Of course there was also the Nardi-Lancia Formula 2, from 1952, which had a rear/central engine from a Lancia Aurelia, but this also did not have a propshaft running to the front.

I have no idea if either of these cars would have been in England in 1960.

Thanks for your reply, it'd be a shame if this Lancia-powered creation has simply disappeared - maybe it was only ever half-built and never actually completed.

ISTR that Poore ran a Lancia Aprilia as a road car, although I doubt that bore any relation to this special.

(I met an interesting person today who remembers taking the Alfa to the racing car show in the early 70s. There must be photos around somewhere of it at this show I suppose??)

Richard

It seems to be just the sort of device which dear old Jenks would know and love, and Bill Boddy would no doubt have given you the car's dimensions and make of tyres and brakes as well as the name of its creator..... There is a strong Lancia affiliation in the VSCC, - there were several at Jenks' funeral- and they might be able to help via a letter or mention in their Newsletter or Bulletin. Their chaps know everything about stuff we've never heard of. More power to their elbows.
Roger Lund

It seems to be just the sort of device which dear old Jenks would know and love, and Bill Boddy would no doubt have given you the car's dimensions and make of tyres and brakes as well as the name of its creator..... There is a strong Lancia affiliation in the VSCC, - there were several at Jenks' funeral- and they might be able to help via a letter or mention in their Newsletter or Bulletin. Their chaps know everything about stuff we've never heard of. More power to their elbows.
Roger Lund

Good idea, I'll pop a mention on the VSCC forum to begin with and see what happens.

rgds, Richard