Compiled by long-term owner Hugh Dickinson in 2005
HISTORY
Most of this information has come from the car’s previous owner (Tony Smallhorn) who had the major restoration carried out, and the Librarian of the Lancia Motor Club, Paul Mayo (See letter below).
| 1958 | B20 No 3894 built in Turin. |
| 1958 – 1965 | Used in Novarra (Italy) with NO registration |
| 1965 | 1st July; Imported to UK, Registration Mark EYX 95C |
| 1965 – 1976 | Used in the UK by P Harrison (Wolverhampton), and A Smallhorn (Hitchin) |
| 1976 | Car fully restored by Tony Smallhorn. Registration Mark 7 PMG transferred from similar B20 (belonging to Lancia (England) Ltd. Managing Director). |
| 1976 | Autocar article (20th November; pp 67-70) based on car. |
| Late 1970’s | Car central feature of Lancia advertisement; ‘If you’re not driving one of our cars, you’re probably driving one of our ideas’. |
| 1977 | July; details recorded by Paul Mayo, LMC Librarian |
| 1970’s | Car featured in at least one ‘classic car’ book… |
| 1985 | Car sold to Hugh Dickinson (Oxford). |
| 1985-1989 | Car used daily on road |
| 1987 | Replacement rear springs |
| 1989 | New front springs fitted, New rings fitted |
| 1990 -2001 | Car stored in dry garage |
| 2002- 2004 | Minor restoration; replacement N/S sill, repainted in dark blue ‘twin-pack’ paint, ‘original’ rear lights fitted with ‘interrupter’ flashing system. |
Letter from Paul Mayo in response to inquiry about the car (September 2004) : –
Dear Hugh,
I’ve done what I can and have attached a register page for B20-3894. Anthony Smallhorn is still about although he has moved. I will get his phone number for you as it is possible he has the old log book(s) or at least memories! The trouble is, 1976 was I think the year in which the new registration documents were issued and you had to write to the County Councils to get the old log books back. I did this for my B20 and Aprilia and have all the details luckily. So it is quite possible that Anthony lost them. However it looks as if your car came to the UK in 1965 and was registered EYX 95C. From the Autocar article it appears it would have had an NO registration for Novarra. There are 1 or 2 trails to follow in Italy. Fiat/HiFi Club can give you the full details of the car as manufactured. It will tell you the exact dates of build etc and all the numbers of the engine, rear end etc plus the colours and interior. This will give you a good idea of how much it was altered at restoration time. If you have not done this I’ll give you the address I have. Also I think Franceso Gandolfi will do this for you. He also seems to be able to track the history of cars in Italy through their registration number. Whether he can do it on what little you have, I do not know, but there is a chance that its export in 1965 from Novarra is worth following up.
Hope this helps a bit.
Paul Mayo
Chassis No. B20-3894 1958 (this is in fact incorrect, see comment below; car was manufactured in 1957)
Photo taken by Paul Mayo at AGM of Lancia Motor Club, Woburn, 1976
| Current Registration & Country | 7 PMG UK, 1st July 1965This registration number came from another B20 (possibly B20-3897) which was scrapped in 1975. See notes below. |
| Previous Registrations | EYX 95C: Issued between Jan 1965 and Dec 1965 |
| Current/Original Engine No. | B20.5163 .On 2nd July 1977 this engine had Weber carb. 40DCL5 No.810. Cylinder heads dated: LH – 4.3.57, RH – 23.2.57 |
| Current Owner, Country & Last Known Dates | 1985 – present – Prof. Hugh Dickinson |
| Previous Owners | 1969 – Mr P Harrison, Redmarley, Keepers Lane, Codsall, Wolverhampton, Staffs. Tel: Codsall 2847 [LMCR Supp. 5/11/1969]1973-1985 – Anthony P Smallhorn, Stotfold, Hitchin, Herts. [LMCR 10/1973 and 1/1976 – in both, car listed as EYX 95C]. |
| Current Colour/Original Colour | In 1977 it was Lancia Blue with blue/silver grey dashboard and blue/grey leather interior. |
Notes
“This car came from Novarra, It had two British owners before being completely restored by the present owner. The registration number 7 PMG came from a similar car (chassis number only 2 digits different) belonging to the managing director of Lancia (England) Ltd. Anthony Smallhorn transferred the registration and also the interior trim in the course of its restoration. The car has done at least 360,000 miles in the course of its career during which time the engine has been rebuilt several times.” Adapted from good article on this car in Autocar w/e 20 November 1976 pp 67-70
In July 1977 the car had a late Jaeger speed at 83,499 miles. LHS floor gear-change. Wood steering wheel. Roof lining in white plastic, grey rubber mats, radio, ammeter, seat belts. In very good condition.” -Most detailed information from personal visits to Anthony Smallhorn in 1977 and later.
B20-2959 
Production information from Fiat/Lancia via Registro Aurelia
Dati di produzione originali dell’Aurelia con il telaio N° B 20 3.894
Montaggio: Venerdì, 14 giugno 1957
Collaudo: Sabato, 31 agosto 1957
Finizione: Sabato, 31 agosto 1957
A rimessa: Sabato, 31 agosto 1957
Colore: Grigio
Selleria: Panno grigio
Scocca: Pinin Farina
N° scocca: 002919
N° motore: 5163
N° differenziale: 848
N° sospensione anteriore: 194
N° scatola guida: 30063
Note: Nessuna
The Registro Aurelia don’t hand out original engine numbers, although these are recorded; apparently this is to make fakery and counterfeiting harder… If you supply them with your engine number they will then confirm it is is the one recorded by the factory.
On doing this, they did in fact confirm that the engine is the original number / block. After c. 500,000 miles it is, according to Peter Harding, to be forgiven a little ‘piston slap’!
My name is Martin Skelton. I bought the first 7 PMG from Harry (someone) in about 1968/9. I bought the car as it now is as an empty shell from a garage in Henley-on Thames. I sold both of these to the Lancia Owners Club in about 1971 for, I think, about £ 100 for the two.
Hello Martin,
This is very interesting. I suspect the Harry was Harry Manning, a legendary figure in English Lancia circles, who was based down near Farnham. Amazing to think that this car was a derelict shell only 14 years after it was made.
It was indeed Harry Manning. I paid him, I think, £200. The shell I paid about £ 50 for the empty shell. Not much today, but for a student in the late 1960s it was a tidy sum.
Was your plan to combine the two cars to make one good one?
It was, but I had neither the time nor the money. The shell was in pristine condition whereas the original car had been sorely afflicted with the demon rust.