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THE STEADY SPECIAL
The Steady Special
From Limousine to Racing Car...
The Steady Special started life as a 1934 Lancia Astura six-seater limousine, firstly owned by Malcolm Anderson, Director of Engineering of BOAC. Nearly twenty years later, Barker bought the Astura for “75 quid. I thought it could make a nice sports car.” The conversion from limousine to sports car entailed shortening the chassis by cutting 4 feet from the middle, with the rear section set at an angle ‘to provide a fashionable downwards rake’. The brakes were converted to hydraulics and the V8 3-litre engine was stripped, rebuilt and had its output increased from 82 bhp to 95bhp. A modern all-enveloping body shell was made by AG Shaw of Sandgates which included the repaired bonnet of an Aston Martin DB2 which had been crashed by the son of David Brown the car maker’s owner, but the original Lancia grille was retained, and the ‘Steady Special’ Mk 1 was complete.
Barker then ‘did a bit of racing’ winning various VSCC competitions and setting fast lap times at Silverstone, Oulton Park and Prescott in the early 1950s. He even drove the reborn Astura to his successful interview at Autocar magazine.
The Restoration Begins...The Steady Special was fired up for the last time in 1976 before being sold on to a fellow Lancia Club member who removed the body shell but did little else to the car before putting the ‘skeleton’ back on sale in the mid-1980s.Barker, who in 1990 bought the engine and rolling chassis, later remembered: “I bought it back and thought I’d get it going again and put on a more suitable retro body.” It was during this second period of ownership that Barker sketched out a body designed to be acceptable to the VSCC as a PVT Tourer, with drawings penned on the back of an envelope. However, his plan did not come to fruition and in 1991 Barker passed on the baton once more to Scott who this time around paid £15,000 for the car. The die was cast for the Steady Special’s third incarnation. However, it was not until 2011 that the total ‘ground up’ restoration process began, using 3D technology to translate Barker’s 60- year old sketches as a basis, with only a few details rearranged, but including the fabrication of an all-new aluminium body fashioned to Barker’s design.Following a couple of false starts - and Steady’s death in 2015 at the age of 94 - Scottie enlisted the skills of the internationally-renowned 8C Alfa Romeo restorers Traction-Seabert to complete the works, with no expense spared, to their own exacting standards.
Shortly afterwards, the car was delivered to the newly founded 96 Engineering. Under the watchful eye and with generous assistance from 96 Club Patron Ivan Dutton, the engine was rebuilt and the car made ready to compete in its first competitive events since the fifties.
In January 2023, Alex Hearnden from 96 Engineering entered the Steady into the VSCC Pomeroy trophy at Silverstone. As it was the car's long awaited comeback to motor racing, there was no competitive requirement, and the S/S proved to be reliable and handled wonderfully, and was very well received by many who thought she'd been broken up.Following a successful Pom, the car received an invite to compete at the 80th Goodwood Members Meeting in April '23. Suddenly the car had gone from zero to hero!
"I remember Roger [co-owner of the Steady] saying that he was more than happy for the car to race at Goodwood, but only if I drove it, and that I wasn't to break it" said 96 Engineering's Alex Hearnden. "I'd put plenty of road miles on it, and run it at the 'Pom in February, but I've only done around 40 minutes around Goodwood!"And so, after an afternoon of testing and several 4am workshop finishes, the Steady Special was Goodwood bound, off to compete in the Trofeo Nuvolari for 1930s Sports Cars.It became evident in qualifying that Barker was right about two things. Firstly, the short chassis Astura, with the modifed sloped rear cruciform handles wonderfully. She stops, carries speed and changes direction better than most of the pre-war cars on the grid. Secondly, Steady had correctly identified the cars weakness: power, or lack thereof, however it must be remembered that this is a sports touring car, not a racer, so the cars performance to qualify around the Frazer Nashs, Aston Ulsters, Maserati's and Talbot's was admirable. A trouble free race, a few more places gained and a very happy Ecurie 96 Team!"Really special," commented Alex. "I've been coming here since I was four and always said I'd race here one day. To race here in the Steady, the car that allowed me to start 96 Engineering, has been perfect. A huge thank you to Scottie, Roger, Ivan Dutton and Barry Jel for making it happen."
"IT WAS EVIDENT THAT BARKER WAS RIGHT - SHE STOPS, CARRIES SPEED AND CHANGES DIRECTION BETTER THAN MOST ON THE GRID"
