One of the -many- highlights of the Techno Classica in Essen will be the Coys Auction on Saturday, March 29. Among the 60+ cars to be offered we found a true gem... a 1912 Lancia 'Epsilon', Versione Corsa. It's the 20/30 HP 4-litre, 4-cylinder model of which 312 chassis were built, yet only 2 are thought to remain today. One, a limousine, is displayed in the Schlumpf Museum, but this one was built as a racing car, and probably one of the 1913 Targa Florio team cars. It spent many years in storage in the Lancia factory museum and was sold in the late 1970's to Lancia historian Oscar Capellano, who restored it to its original specification. Oscar Capellano passed away last year and his daughter decided to donate the proceeds of the world's oldest functioning Lancia to a good cause, a project called 'Progetto Gnekko', a nature park in Chivasso, Italy, where handicapped children can learn to appreciate wildlife. We only hope that Coys will give this unique Lancia a prominent position on their stand at Techno Classica, so that as many people as possible will have a good view of this early racing car.
(Photos courtesy Coys)