1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Coupe

Hailed by many as the first to produce a grand touring automobile, Lancia introduced the B20 Aurelia GT designed by the renowned Vittorio Jano in 1950. It was a sporting version of the Aurelia Saloon styled by Pininfarina offering a motorcar suitable for both daily use and competitive motorsports. Power is supplied by a 118hp 60-degree OHV V-6 engine designed by Lancia engineer Francesco de Virgilio – considered the first production automobile to use V-6 power.

This car is one of five special Competition Series I Lancia Aurelia B20 GTs produced. It was most likely also the very first Lancia Aurelia B20 in the United States, because it was used as a road test car for the January 1952 issue of Road & Track magazine.

This car was made specially for F1 driver Felice Bonetto to drive in the 1951 Carrera Panamericana. It raced in both the 1951 and 1952 Carrera Panamericana road races and finished the second year in 9th position.

This Lancia features a special lowered roofline for more efficient aerodynamics featuring lightweight alloy panels, special transmission with long ratio gears for higher speeds, a special floor shifter for faster shifting, long-range fuel tank with double fuel necks, a lightweight interior with different seats and a specially tuned engine with an extra two-barrel carburetor. In the late 1950s, the car was retired and stored in Mexico. From 1964 to 2016 it was owned by the same family as part of a large car collection before being acquired by its current owner.