The
Lancia Motor Club was founded on the 21st June 1947, by
17 Lancia owners and enthusiasts at the Royal Restaurant,
Bennett's Hill Birmingham whilst they were on the way back
from a Hill Climb meeting at Shelsey Walsh. It is the oldest
'Lancia Club' in the world!
Surprisingly,
the Lancia Motor Club's formation was regarded with suspicion
and a little resistance from the Managing Director of Lancia
(England) Ltd who complained that the club was a commercial
competitor. During 1948 the club became firmly established,
taking part in the inaugural '8' Clubs meeting (the race
meeting is still held annually at Silverstone). In the same
year, a reorganisation of the committee persuaded Lancia
(England) Ltd recognise the club.
The
new Chairman of the Committee, Murray Austin, used his
expert powers of negotiation to help Lancia import new
cars into England in time for the 1948 Motor Show (at
this time Italy was still technically an "enemy"
in the period before the Peace Treaties were signed).
From this point on relations improved with the effect
that in 1978 the Lancia Motor Club and Lancia (England)
Ltd held the "30/50" event at Donnington to
celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Club and 50 years
of Lancia (England) Ltd.
Apart from the "30/50" event the Club has organised
a number of highly successful special events both in the
UK and in Italy, including "Fulvia 25" in 1988,
"Forbello '96" (a rally to Italy to celebrate
90 years of Lancia), culminating with the Lancia Motor
Clubs 50th Anniversary held in September 1997 based at
Cirencester which probably saw the largest collection
of Lancias ever seen in one place at one time!
The
Lancia Motor Club has over 50 years gained a reputation
as 'The Friendly Club', and has grown to a membership
of over 1500 (and is still growing despite Lancia's withdrawal
from the UK), with 30 local meetings in the UK and Ireland.
The club also has a significant number of members from
around the world
Over the last 50 years the Club has become renowned for
the quality of its publications, with the professional
'Classic Car' press making a number of awards to the club
for its magazine. Today, the high quality monthly club
magazine 'Viva Lancia!' continues the tradition of keeping
the diverse membership informed about all things Lancia.
The Lancia Motor Club has recently played a leading role
in the formation of the "The World Association of
Lancia Clubs" which held its first meeting at the
Lancia Motor Club's 50th Anniversary.
