Barrett's #306 - Solved - 'Steady' Barker's Lancia 'short' Astura special 1934/ 1953

[barrett]

For a point please tell me who built this car, when and what he called it, and also the make, model and year of the base car.

[barrett]

Experts?

[Iluvatar]

Lancia?

[barrett]

Yes, that's the easiest piece of the puzzle!

[Iluvatar]

Maybe Lancia-Paganelli?

[barrett]

Not that one

[barrett]

Just a brief spell in expert-land... Surely a Pro will have this one solved in no time?

[woodinsight]

Just a thought - it's not the re-bodied Lamgia originally built by Dr. Kennedy of St. Albans?
That was Lancia-based with MG mechanicals.

[barrett]

Not that one - this is all Lancia underneath

[faksta]

Jack Walton drove a Lancia in 1955 against various sportscars, which makes me think that was a special. Maybe this is it?

[barrett]

I've not heard that name in connection to this car at all, he's certainly not the builder and I don't think it was ever campaigned by anyone other than the chap who put it together

[faksta]

But it still looks British to me...

[barrett]

Yes, it is British!

[SACO]

Lancia Astura rebuilt in 1950 ?

[barrett]

Lancia Astura YES! A little later than 1950 though

[woodinsight]

Hurst Special?

[barrett]

Not that. It was created by a well known name...

[SACO]

By Ron 'Steady' Barker's  and his  short-wheel-base special "short-Arstura" ?

[Allan L]

By Ron 'Steady' Barker's  and his  short-wheel-base special "short-Arstura" ?

I think he's got it!
T'was also known as the Costalotti.

[barrett]

By Ron 'Steady' Barker's  and his  short-wheel-base special "short-Arstura" ?

That's the one!

Can you complete the answer for the point...

Ronald 'Steady' Barker's Lancia 'Short' Astura, built in 19XX and based on a 19XX Astura

Locked for you, of course

[SACO]

Ron Barker special based on a 1934 saloon
and rebuilt in 1955 ?

[barrett]

I actually have the date of the new car as 1953, but 1934 is the right year for the chassis and I think you're close enough for the point. Well done, I don't think this one was that easy to be honest.

[Allan L]

May I point out that, as SACO wrote, Steady called it the "short-ars tura" for reasons obvious to native English-speakers!

[Wendax]

Shouldn't this be moved to the Solved section?

[barrett]

ah, my mistake!

As for the 'short as/ ars-tura', my (British) source was obviously much too polite to report it as such (or they just didn't 'get it') so I'll leave the topic title as-is for the time being, it contains enough components for this to show up on a search I think...