The career of the D-Series Lancia Sport was as short as it was brilliant. The car - serial '0005' - made its debut in the 1954 Sebring 12-Hours classic, co-driven by Juan Fangio/Eugenio Castelloti, before scoring three consecutive victories - two driven by 'The Silver Fox' (Piero Taruffi) and one by that other great snowy-haired Italian veteran 'Gigi' Villoresi. Early in 1955 Lancia presented this car to President Peron of Argentina, who had it raced nationally in blue-and-yellow Argentine livery. Returned to Italy in the 1980s '0005' was then restored to running order for the late Count Vittorio Zanon. It is one of only two D24 cars in existence, the other being in the Lancia Museum, and is truly one of the greatest icons of sports-racing history.
Gianni Lancia authorized his sports car program in the summer of 1952. The first D20s made their debut in the Mille Miglia of April, 1953, and the first D24s at Nurburgring that August. The ultimate D24, with completely new chassis and engine, would emerge in the spring of 1954. This amazing technical feat saw Lancia D20 and D24 cars win three Targa Florio classics, Mexico's Carrera PanAmericana, and the Italian Mille Miglia.
The career of the D-series Lancia Sport was as short as it was brilliant. This car, series '0005', equipped with a 3284-cc, V6 260 horsepower engine, with a top speed of 160 mph, made its debut in the 1954 Sebring 12 Hour classic, co-driven by Juna Fangio/Eugenio Castellotti, before scoring three consecutive victories.
In 1955, Lancia presented the car to President Peron of Argentina, who raced it nationally. It was returned to Italy in 1980 and restored. It is one of only two D24 cars in existence, the other being in the Lancia Museum, and is truly one of the greatest icons of sports-racing history.
The Lancia D20 and D24 sports cars were amongst the elite teams in sports car racing during the early 1950s. They won almost ever race they entered including the Mille Miglia, the Carrera Panamericana and the Targa Florio. This D24, chassis number 0005, won the 1954 Targa Florio driven by Piero Taruffi and the Oporto Grand Prix in Portugal the following month driven by the legendary Luigi Villoresi. The car appears here in its distinctive Oporto GP livery. Following its illustrious European racing career, Gianni Lancia gave the car to President Peron of Argentina to race in the national team colors. It was returned to Italy and restored during the 1980s for race drive and collector Count Vittorio Zanon.Also photographed at :