1952 Lancia Aurelia B52 Coupe

When Lancia offered their aluminum overhead valve V-6 in their production automobiles, it marked the first time a production V-6 engine was ever offered. The original displacement was 1754cc, but this would grow over the years and offered in various forms of tune. Another impressive feature was the clutch, gearbox and differential were all housed in the same unit. The Aurelia's chassis was comprised of wishbones and coil-springs in the front and an independent rear setup with inboard-mounted rear brakes.

This 1952 Lancia 2000 B52 Aurelia 'B Junior' is one of only 98 B52 examples created. All B52s were sent to coachbuilders to receive one-off and limited production bodies. This example wears coachwork created by Ghia and is believed to have been designed by Boano's son, Gian Paolo. There are several interesting features to this car, such as the semi-skirted wheel wells, a distinctive grille design with vertical chrome teeth, and a two-tone paint scheme.

This B52 Aurelia was on display at the Ghia stand at the Turin Motor Show in 1953. It is painted in white over light blue with a white with gray cloth interior. This car has been given a restoration, performed in England, and has been the featured in several European magazines. It remains one of only two known to have been built.

In 2008, this B52 Ghia-bodied Aurelia was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it was offered without reserve and estimated to sell for $100,000 - $125,000. The lot was sold for $81,400, including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2009