White Volumex Coupe - previous owner searching

[MattNoVAT]

While at the NEC Classic Car show I was chatting with a gentlemen who owned a White VX Coupe, IIRC he owned the car for 12 years and sold it about 6 years ago.  He was very enthusiastic about the car, to the point of having professional photos taken of it which still hang on his walls at home to this day!  It was apparently in good shape when he sold it and he was quite keen on finding out if the car is still out there. (Possibly so that he could buy it back!)

I have checked with the DVLA and the car is currently on SORN, so its definately out there , just not on the road.

Registration is:  B523 BFV

Anyone know where this car is ?   Possibly somewhere close to Manchester or the surrounding area (but guess it could be anywhere now)

Please get back to me with any info..

Thanks in advance,

[hutch6610]

Well i can't help you with the whereabouts of the car but i think i know the "gentleman" you are talking about.
His name Barrat by any chance?
He loved that car and the time period matches exactly - would not be surprised if he had a drip dry poster sized photo of his car on the wall.
White VX coupes are quite rare - seen two, one in salvage yard and one belonging to this bloke.

Let me tell you a story about him.
I wouldn't call him a gentleman, a nonpaying lying toad more like (assuming i have the right car and person)
Car originally was in London, Ealing to be precise.
Did some work for him, spent three hours sorting bad electrics he had on his car - he had left the car overnight with a chap who ran a company called Lanciarama - who frankly did a crap job, three second hand spade connectors taped into the wiring harness.
Did the job in front of him, that way he was not inconvenienced by leaving it with me and having to find alternative means for getting home.

Also supplied him with new indicator/wiper stalks and sorted out the indicator canceling problem he had .... total cost £50.00.


How did he show his gratitude?  ......... pay you next week he said - never seen him since, would not answer his mobile either.

I did get his number from Viva-Lancia a few years ago (must be six years now) strung him along for twenty odd minutes, obtained his address and then told him who i was ...... deathly silence on the phone 

Anyway ...... now you all know why i am unhinged  .... thanks to people him Barrat - look forward to meeting him at a Italian car show one day!
Oh well back to the padded cell for me.

[rossocorsa]

that's unfortunately typical of a small minority of old style lancia owners, as regards white vx coupes there was one around my way many years ago which I was told, but never actually confirmed, was broken up by Betacar and Lancia gave one away in a competition which had martini stripes fitted. It was won by someone in Wales. At the time it was claimed to be the only white vx coupé in the country but it appears that one or two slipped through the net a little bit later on. I sometimes wonder did they really only import 150 as the number of survivors that keep popping up seems disproportionate especially when those known to be scrapped are taken into account

[hutch6610]

Totally agree with you rossocorsa, people like that in the Beta community are a minority - in fact he was the only non-payer i came across..... now you all know why he had enough money to have his car professionally photographed.
Comes across as a "nice chap".
Certain independent Alfa Romeo garage in north London has a similar type person who founded it ...... known him for years, the strokes he pulled to make money ..... now hes respectable .
 
I think they must have imported more than they claim.

So you have heard about a white VX coupe ... that's one, i have seen two confirmed (one of them by MattNoVAT) ... that makes three so far.
Oh i did break up a VX HPE in white around 1999-2000, wish i hadn't now.

[rossocorsa]

this is the one that I heard third hand had been broken up by Betacar, from the fact that its status is 'unlicenced' it seems likely...

Date of Liability   01 09 1998
Date of First Registration   03 08 1984
Year of Manufacture   1984
Cylinder Capacity (cc)   1995CC
CO2 Emissions   Not Available
Fuel Type   Petrol
Export Marker   Not Applicable
Vehicle Status   Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour   WHITE
Vehicle Type Approval   
Vehicle Excise Duty Rate for vehicle    
6 Months Rate   £104.50
12 Months Rate   £190.00

the red vx is still alive and still immaculate having been owned by Steve Thompson for many years, I don't know about the white spider's current state but it was locked away securely a few years ago out of use. On the subject of HPE VX they seem more common in white there is/was(?) one in leicester half broken up and another up in Batley that I think has also recently been broken.

[rossocorsa]

Oh i did break up a VX HPE in white around 1999-2000, wish i hadn't now.

we all regret things like that I cut up the Autocar road test Flavia coupé 1.8 594GLA  about 10 years ago but at the time it made a better flintstone replica floor wise and it was in the way....

[MattNoVAT]

The gent I met at NEC Classic Car show was not called Barrat his surname was Holtom.  He was a born and bred Mancunian and by his account the car seemed to have spent its life up oop north!

Hutch......., deep breathes and relax  

We've all been there when I was breaking Integrales I got over-ruled when someoneone came down from up north to collect a Thema Phase 3 turbo engine to fit into a Fiat Tipo, £650 or £500 if he paid cash (ahem  )   He rang 3 times while on his way, not once mentioning that he had no cash on him only his girlfriends cheque book.  I said no don't let him take the engine but my business partner said it was OK as the guy had bought (small value) bits before.  I said this has "Knock" written all over it, and low and behold the cheque bounced and we lost the engine and my time spent removing it.  He also had my mate over for all his shims!

I'm not happy about it still, but I know that what goes around comes around....... eventually