1954 Lancia Aurelia PF200

Following the American infatuation with the jet plane during the early 1950s, Italy's leading automotive designers and coachbuilders wasted no time in unveiling beautiful bodies that would appeal to the lucrative American market. Inspired by American automotive influence at the time, renowned designer Battista 'Pinin' Farina created the eye-catching Lancia Aurelia PF200 Coupe that debuted at the 1952 Turin Motor Show. The open sportscar PF200 was targeted at the U.S. market and featured American design cues like curvy jet fighter features, a long hood with a separate large circular mask, and nickel element rear wings. Anything but understated, the PF200's circular grille-surround appeared to have come right from a contemporary fighter jet. Finished in chrome and sporting a large rear bumper, the rear wings featured long fins that extended past the tail of the car.

The PF200 was considered the most creative series of special Aurelia designs by Pininfarina. Following the sportscar was a coupe version with a cockpit-like cabin. Customers craved more practical versions of this design so Pininfarina introduced a small series that included a 2-door coupe, a 2-door convertible, and a 4-door sedan. With a more traditional front-end treatment, these PF200 models were a much more humble version.

Lancia's Aurelia B52 chassis was used and became part of the select few bodies that were available to customer coachbuilders without a body. The PF200 was based on the production Aurelia B20 but was given a bit of a longer wheelbase, so designers had more creative leeway. Power came from the same 2-liter V6 engine that was developed under the supervision of Vittorio Jano. Producing between 75 and 90 bhp the engine was fitted with hemispherical heads and a single Solex carburetor.

As the jet craze slowly faded, the final PF200 was produced in 1955, and Pininfarina moved on with the Aurelia B24 Spyder, which became an instant hit. An estimated six PF200 Aurelia's have been thought to have been produced, with at least four existing today. Changes in the second model from the first included very subtle design tweaks that included the prominent grille becoming more oval-shaped rather than a perfect circle.

By Jessica Donaldson

In 1950 the Lancia Aurelia was introduced to the public at the Turin Motorshow and was created as a replacement for the Lancia Aprilia. Under the hood was a new six-cylinder engine in 'Vee' configuration. To reduce weight, various body panels had been constructed of aluminum, including the hood and doors. The clutch and four-speed gearbox was mounted in the rear using a single unit with the differential. The suspension in the rear was independent, while the front was a sliding pillar type.

The first in the series was the B10 Berlina. Power came from a 1574 cc engine producing nearly 60 horsepower. The four-door pillarless saloon was criticized for its performance issues so Lancia answered the complaints with the introduction of the B21 produced a year later. There was little to distinguish the B10 from the B21, the only difference lies under the hood. The 1574 cc engine had been replaced with a 1991 cc engine producing 70 horsepower. To add sporty appeal, a B20 GT Coupe was introduced in the same year. The two-door coupe was designed by Boano from Ghia. Gianpaolo Boano was the son of Ghia owner Mario Felice Boano. Production was handled by Pininfarina. It sat atop a shortened wheelbase and used a tuned version of the 1991 cc engine now producing 75 horsepower. Production was low with only 500 examples produced. A second coupe series was created using a tuned version of the 1991 cc engine now producing 80 horsepower. Mechanical improvements included better brakes and a lowered suspension, both resulting in better performance. Styling changes were mostly confined to the interior, the most noticeable being done to the instrument panel.

In 1950 an extended wheelbase version of the B10 was introduced, featuring different tires and gear ratios. These were dubbed the B50 and the B51. When the 2-liter engine was introduced, the name was changed to B52 and B53. Production was low with the B50 having the most examples created, 583. There were 184 B52 models, 6 B55 and only 5 B56 models. A single B60 was created. The B55 and B56 were examples with the 2-liter engine and a de Dion rear suspension. The purpose of these specialty models was to allow custom coachbuilders such as Pininfarina, Bertone, Viotti, Vignale, Ghia, among others, to design and build unique creations. One of the more famous designs was created by Pininfarina. It was a concept car dubbed the PF2000. A few examples were created for display at motor shows, such as the Lancia Aurelia B52 B JR built by Ghia for the 1953 Turin Motor Show.

In 1953 Lancia introduced the B20 Coupe, the third in the series, powered by a 2451 cc engine producing nearly 120 horsepower. This marked the first time a left-hand-drive version of the Aurelia could be purchased. The independent rear suspension could not handle the extra power from the new engine so it was changed in favor of a de Dion system. Seven hundred twenty examples were created.

By 1952 Lancia had created a replacement for the B21 Berlina, the B22. It was basically the same as its replacement except for improvements under the hood. The engine had been given double-barrel Weber carburetors, among other improvements, which resulted in the production of 90 horsepower. There were styling changes included, most done to the interior, such as the instruments and the indicators. In 1954 Lancia ceased production of the B22 and introduced the B12. During its production lifespan, nearly 1100 examples were produced.

The B12 was one of the first drastic changes to the Aurelia, both mechanically and aesthetically, since its inception. The engine was a 2266 cc powerplant producing 87 horsepower. The rear suspension was changed in favor of a de Dion system. Wind deflectors were placed on the windows and the headlights were changed. During its production lifespan, around 2400 examples were produced.

In 1955 the audience at the Brussels Motor Show was introduced to the B24 Spider. Lancia had tasked Pininfarina to design and produce a limited number of vehicles using a shortened wheelbase from the B12. Power was supplied from a 2451 cc engine. A convertible was later introduced and quickly became the favorite, with 521 Convertibles and 240 Spiders produced.

The production of the Berlina ceased in 1955. The Coupe and Convertible series continued until 1958. There were a total of six series for the coupe. The fifth series began to shy away from performance gains and focused more on luxury.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2007