AUCTION DIARY

POA from Girardo & Co, London, UK

29 February

Classicbid, Stuttgart, Germany 2 March

Shannons, Melbourne, Australia 4 March

Brightwells, Leominster, UK H&H, Online 4-6 March

Russo & Steele, Amelia Island, USA 5 March

Bonhams, Amelia Island, USA 6 March

Gooding & Co, Amelia Island, USA 6-7 March

RM Sotheby’s, Amelia Island, USA 7 March

Historics, Ascot, UK 11-14 March

Mecum, Phoenix, USA Aguttes, 15 Paris, March France 18 March

H&H, Duxford, UK 19 March

DVCA, Henstridge, UK 20-21 March

RM Auctions, Palm Beach, USA 21 March

Bonhams MPH, Bicester, UK Mathewsons, Thornton-le-Dale, UK Osenat, Fontainebleau, France 27 March

RM Sotheby’s, Essen, Germany 28 March

Oldtimer Galerie, Toffen, Switzerland 28-29 March

Classic Car Auctions, Birmingham, UK Coys, Essen, Germany 29 March

Bonhams, Goodwood, UK 1 April

Gooding & Co, London, UK Mecum, 2-4 4 Houston, April April USA

Anglia Car Auctions, UK King’s Lynn, 7 April

H&H, Bickenhill, UK (motorcycles) 8 April

Charterhouse, Shepton Mallet, UK 16-18 April

Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach, USA 17-18 April

Branson Auction, Missouri, USA Vicari, Boloxi, USA

IS THERE ANYTHING cooler? This epic fleet of Martini-liveried Lancias race and rally cars is one of the most impressive collections of its kind, and it belongs to entrepreneur and racing driver John Campion.

Octane first featured Campion and his Lancias back in 2017, shortly after the Delta S4 Corsa took best-in-show at Amelia Island.

It’s hard to know where to start with these six cars, but the 1988 Lancia Delta HF Integrale 8V Group A is arguably the most significant. This is the works Martini in which Miki Biasion won both the Rallye de Portugal and the Olympus Rally in 1988, his Championship-winning year. It amassed 36 stage victories, too.

There are two Group B Lancias: a Delta S4 Corsa and the earlier 037 Rally Evo 2. The S4 was used as a test car ahead of the Monte Carlo and Swedish rounds of the World Rally Championship, and the 037 – chassis 411 – served as a recce car for the 1984 Rally of the 1000 Lakes, driven by Markku Alén. It later found a home with the Jolly Club racing team.

It’s not just rally cars, though. Three rather special endurance racers are presented here, starting with the 1981 Beta Montecarlo Turbo. Developed for Group 5 racing, this was in effect a silhouette racer with a spaceframe chassis and a 500bhp, 1.4-litre turbo engine. It represented a return to endurance racing for Lancia and led to significantly greater things.

One of those things was the aggressive-looking LC1 Group 6, built to take on the 1982 Le Mans 24 Hours. This was Italy’s first ground-effect sports car, and this particular car – one of four built – won the 1982 Nürburgring 1000km.

In 1983 came the full-on Group C LC2. This car contested the 1983 and 1984 FIA World Sportscar Championship and was a works Lancia Martini Racing entrant at Le Mans in 1983, driven by Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo, Alessandro Nannini and Bob Wollek.

Campion’s passion for rallying is a result of his Irish upbringing and the decision to sell his collection is in connection with his latest endeavour, to discover and develop Irish racing talent through the CJJ Motorsports racing team.

Girardo & Co is handling the sale, and values the collection – as a whole – at $7,500,000.