For our first podcast episode of 2026, Glenn Ridge sits down with Peter Vandersluys of Re-Creation Automotive to discuss the completion of a remarkable five-year restoration of an exceptionally rare Lancia.
Peter Vandersluys has spent decades restoring classic motor cars, both in Australia through his business Re-Creation Automotive and previously in the United States. Over the years, he has returned countless significant vehicles to their former glory, but this latest project stands out as one of his most challenging—and rewarding.
In this episode, Peter shares the story behind the restoration of a 1962 Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato, a car with an extraordinary past. As Peter recalls, the journey began with a simple phone call. “I said I would fly up to Sydney to look at the car, and after we spoke, the rest is history.”
What followed was an intensive restoration process underpinned by extensive historical research.
“We had very little to go on, being not Lancia people,” Peter explains. “By the time we stripped the car down, we knew it had lived a very hard life—but we didn’t know why.”
At one point, Peter believed he had discovered period photographs of the car online, only to realise they belonged to a different example altogether. However, one key detail was known early on: the car had been purchased in Milan in 1965 by the brother of its eventual owner while on holiday in Italy.
The breakthrough came years later.
“It wasn’t until around 2021 that the owner found the original purchase papers,” Peter says. “That finally gave the car its true identity and allowed us to trace its history. That was incredibly exciting.”
The research revealed the car’s remarkable origins. Built by Lancia and then sent to Zagato for its handcrafted body, the Flaminia Sport had competition pedigree. The team uncovered period news articles, driver details, and information about the car’s first race appearances.
“We found the driver had been contracted by Lancia, and the car itself had unique features that confirmed it was a works-built race car.”
Finished in Amaranto Montebello with black trim, the car featured sliding Perspex windows, Zagato-modified doors and handles, a stripped-out interior with no radio, and a long-range fuel tank—clear evidence that this was no ordinary road car.
Originally built to compete in classic events such as the Targa Florio in Palermo, the Lancia Flaminia endured a tough early life before arriving in Sydney in 1965. Now, after decades and a painstaking restoration, it has been given an entirely new lease on life.
As Peter explains in the podcast, the story doesn’t end with the completion of the restoration. In many ways, it marks the beginning of another chapter in the already colourful life of this extraordinary Lancia.
