Sadly I pass on the news that Bob Williams died on 22 December. Bob was a longtime promoter and restorer of Lancia, often working with Walt Spak. You can find his obituary at the following link. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazzette/obituary.aspx?pid=183265470
Et Al…
I was the initial person that got Bob WIlliams into Lancia and by extension Walt Spak. In approximately, I, Jim Bandy, was just retiring from the US Army in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, Bob was running a small “Body Shop.” I hired him to do some body work on my Citroen CX. Later on visiting an ole friend in Citroens, Ariel Robinson, a Citroen member from Washington, DC…who had a sister living in Bob’s home town Rennedale, PA…Ariel had also a Lancia, and who was a friend of Tom Sheen of Lancia Parts Consortium in Pittsburgh…..I met Tom, and we discussed having some Lancia’s worked on at Bob’s Shoppe. One day, a guy selling “Hotsy” steam cleaners….came by and talk to us. It seems that Walt was married to Sheehan’s niece. All that followed is history, but not or has not been in the public of William and Spak. Some of the cars we worked on were many B20′ and B24’s. One was Serigo Franchi, famous singer. Among others they were cheap….Tom offered me one for $1500.00 if I would restore two, then he would give the B24. Also, as I remembe William still have a B50 Converible, that Sheen gave him for $1500.00. Sheen died in the early 2000’s. His son Kevin took over the Parts Consortium for a while, but finally all the parts were sold to England and Roy Sheely, a Foreign Parts (Used) in Swickley, PA. I left Oakdale…with a Zagato. Williams and Spak continued on with the resoration of Lancia’s…Spak did very well, but contracted a disabiliting disease…Parkinshon, I believe…and so that is the rest of the story.