☰
conceptcarz.com
✕

1951 Lancia Aurelia

Vincenzo Lancia's Company began in 1907 and quickly earned a reputation for its attention to detail, technical sophistication, and refined aesthetics. This reputation would continue for decades. At the Turin Auto Show in 1950, Lancia introduced the Aurelia, one of the most advanced automobiles available. It utilized an innovative semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension, four-speed transaxle, and the first use of a V6 engine in a production car. It was also the first car fitted with radial tires as standard equipment.

Lancia achieved independent suspension by utilizing the company's sliding pillars at the front and trailing arms at the rear. The engine was the work of engineers Francesco de Virgilio and Vittorio Jano. It was constructed of lightweight aluminum and given a 60-degree v-angle and a central camshaft with short pushrods for compactness and inherent balance. The chassis was well balanced by positioning the inboard rear drum brakes and the transaxle close to the vehicle's centerline, under the unitary body.

Lancia offered the Aurelia in Berina B10 configuration and a B50 (or B51 with different tires and gearing) coachbuilder's platform, with the same 2,860-millimeter wheelbase and same 1,754 cubic-centimeter engine. A year later, Lancia introduced the B20 GT coupe (also made available for the platform chassis, designated B52 or B53 depending on tires and gearing). The B20 GT came with a more powerful and larger 1991cc engine installed in a shorter (2660 mm) and lighter chassis. Felice Mario Boano had styled the 2+2 coachwork. The initial 'pre-series' run of 98 cars was commissioned to Ghia; since the Turinese firm was already overwhelmed with orders, they subcontracted some of the cars to Pinin Farina and a carrozzeria named Viotti. Viotti was a Turin, Italy coachbuilding company active between 1921 and 1964 and had been founded by Vittorio Viotti. They were the first coachbuilder in Italy to establish a proper production line, and designers who worked at the firm included Frua and Mario Revelli.

Carrozzeria Vittorio was initially tasked with its construction, but this was soon transferred to Pinin Farina. Nearly all 500 of the Series I B20s received the standard Vittorio Jano-designed GT body. The Boano coachwork was discernible from the B10 sedan by its fastback coachwork. Built as a grand touring car, the 'B20 GT' is the first production car to be named with the 'GT' acronym.

265 examples of the B50 Pinin Farina Cabriolets were produced, with four being upgraded to the 2,000cc specification, retaining the B50 chassis numbers.

The Lancia Aurelia proved to be formidable competition, with B20s taking three of the first seven places at the 1951 Mille Miglia, including Giovanni Bracco's Lancia capturing second place. A year later, at the same event, they took four of the first eight positions.

by Dan Vaughan

B20 GT Coupe by Pininfarina
Chassis number: B20-1300

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.

B20 GT Coupe by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 1010

This Lancia Aurelia B20 was uprated from standard with a floor gear change and a more powerful engine. Giovanni Bracco drove it in the 1951 Mille Miglia with Umberto Maglioli, and it finished second overall behind Villoresi's Ferrari 340 America. Bracco continued his success with the car throughout the 1951 season, winning the Caracalla Night Race, a first in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and winning the Pescara 6 Hour race. Prior to the Pescara race, the roof was lowered, the bodywork was modified, and the engine power increased. In October, the car was flown to Mexico for the second running of the Carrera Panamericana, where it sadly retired on the fourth stage after a strong showing. It remained in Mexico after the Panamericana, and by the mid-1950s, it was in the United States. In 2011 it was found in Texas by Italian Lancia Aurelia aficionado Daniele Turrisi and returned to Europe, where it was acquired by the current owner, who restored it to its Carrera Panamericana specification.

B50 Convertible by Pininfarina

This 1951 Lancia Aurelia B50 Convertible is very unique with coachwork courtesy of Pininfarina. It has a grey body shell with a chocolate-gray leather interior. The convertible top is black. Mounted in the front is a 1754 cc six-cylinder engine that produces 56 horsepower. The four-speed manual gearbox sends power to the rear wheels while drum brakes provide adequate stopping power. It is a right-hand drive vehicle with a sliding pillar front suspension and independent in the rear.

In 1960 the Lancia Company was born after Vincenzo Lancia left Fiat in pursuit of building his own version of the automobile. The vehicle he built gained a reputation for being built to the highest quality that enveloped style and sophistication.

After Vincenzo's death, the company was run by his son Gianni. Gianni continued the tradition established by his father and the success of the company continued to climb.

The Lancia Aurelia was one of the company's first offerings after the war. The design was by Vittorio Jano, who is well known for his work at Alfa Romeo. The B10 sedan was joined by the B20GT Coupe in 1951. The V6 engine was enlarged and that was just the beginning of the performance improvements. The B10 was impressive for is time with its four-speed synchromesh gearbox and in-board mounted rear brakes. It introduced the first semi-trailing arm rear suspension layout and the pillarless unit body was equally as impressive. The B20GT raised performance even further by dropping the weight and being fitted to a shorter wheelbase. The B24 Spider America was introduced in 1954 with a total of 240 examples produced. It was short-lived and replaced in 1955 by the B24 Convertible.

Custom coachbuilding was popular until World War II. Manufacturers were responsible for creating a rolling chassis and the rest of the vehicle was left up to the purchaser to customize. Coachbuilding was an art where each body was often specially created for the purchaser and built to their desires and specifications. Lancia continued this tradition after World War II with their B50 which sat on a longer wheelbase than the B10 sedan. The 1754cc single-carbureted engine was still standard.

Italian coachbuilding firms such as Vignale, Castagna, Bertone, Ghia, Boneschi and Viotti created custom creations. Most were produced in limited numbers from 5 to 25. Many agree that the Pininfarina creations were among the most desirable and elegant. The 2+2 convertibles were the most popular of the coach-built Aurelias with a total of 265 examples being produced.

The example shown is believed to have been the 1951 Geneva Motor Show Car.

by Dan Vaughan

GT Coupe by Viotti
Chassis number: B20-1047

In 1950, the sedan version of the Lancia Aurelia was introduced, powered by an aluminum-alloy V-6 motor co-designed by Vittorio Jano. The Aurelia B20 GT of 1951 was distinguished from the B10 sedan by its fastback coachwork, penned by Mari Felice Boano. The car was designed as a grand touring car and is noteworthy as the first production car to be named with the widely copied mantle of 'GT.' The initial 'pre-series' run of 98 cars were entrusted to Ghia, however they were overwhelmed with orders, prompting them to subcontract some of the cars to Pinin Farina and a relatively unknown carrozzeria named Viotti. Pinin Farina assumed production before Ghia's contracted cars were complete, which means the 'pre-series' cars were even shorter than the 98 examples cited by many history books.

When production of the B20 GT came to an end in 1958, a total of 3,871 examples had been built in a total of six series.

Along from being a road going car, they were also worthy competition cars, finishing 2nd overall at the 1951 Mille Miglia, 1st in Class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans a month later and a 1-2-3 finish at the 1952 Targa Florio.

This particular B20 is the 67th car produced and is one of fewer than 98 early pre-series examples officially contracted to Ghia, though it is even more rare given that it is one of a few of the cars subcontracted to carrozzeria Viotti.

Upon completion, the car was finished in metallic beige paint with a nut-brown interior and approved for sale on June 8, 1951. It is believed that the car was imported to England in 1960 and remained in British ownership for more than two decades. It returned to Italy in 1988 and treated to a restoration by Gianni Sala of Reggio Emilia.

Power is from a 1991cc Dual Overhead Camshaft V-6 engine fitted with a Weber 40 DCF carburetor and offering 75 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

B20 GT Coupe by Pininfarina
Chassis number: B20-1101
Engine number: B20-1122

The Vittorio-designed Lancia Aurelia was truly revolutionary in that it combined high levels of performance and luxury into one attractive and compact package. The brainchild of Lancia engineer Francesco de Virgilio, it is the first production automobile to utilize V6 power. Bodywork was provided by Pinin Farina.

A second-place finish in the 1951 Mille Miglia, a first in class and 12th overall at Le Mans, a stunning 1-2-3 Finish at the Targa Florio and a high-profile win at the 1953 Liege-Rome-Liege Rally, silenced any doubts as to its sporting prowess.

The first owner of this vehicle, Sig. Mario Maffei, was a famed movie producer in Italy who owned it from July 1951 until July 1965. The third owner, Sandro Lanza, kept it for 43 years. In all, it had four owners until 2015, when the present owner acquired it in Italy. There, the car underwent an extensive 26-month rotisserie restoration by a team of Lancia specialists who restored it to exact factory specifications. It was then Lancia FCA Heritage book certified, reflecting 100% authenticity and matching numbers.

Italian experts report that, although a total of 371 units were built by Lancia, only about 50 of these cars remain in existence today.

B20 GT Coupe by Pininfarina
Chassis number: B20-1101
Engine number: B20-1122

The Lancia Aurelia was developed under Vittorio Jano and Francesco de Virgilio and received a sliding pillar front suspension, a fully independent rear setup, a rear-mounted four-speed transaxle, and inboard rear brakes. Beneath its bonnet was the world's first production V-6 engine and it rode on standard radial tires (another production car 'first').

Body styles initially included a four-door Berlina followed by a gran turismo in 1951 with the unveiling of the B20 GT. This 2+2 coupe wore styling by Felice Mario Boano with an aerodynamic shape that complimented its advanced mechanical specification. During 1951, the B20 GT captured class victories at the Giro di Sicilia, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Mille Miglia, where Giovanni Bracco and Umberto Maglioli drove their Aurelia to 2nd Overall.

This particular B20 GT is one of the 408 examples produced during the model's first year of production and one of 500 Series I cars produced. Unique styling features include Carello 'waterfall' headlamps, aluminum bumpers, and Berlina-style dashboard with Metron gauges.

This B20 GT was acquired new in July 1951 by Mario Maffei of Biella, Italy. It passed through three subsequent Italian owners before entering the care of Leo Schigiel of Miami in 2015. Carrozzeria Capello of Italy was commissioned to perform a show-quality restoration which took over two years to complete. Upon completion, the car was inspected by Lancia Classiche and issued a Certificazione di Autenticita.

This Lancia wears a black exterior with light brown upholstery. It has a Nardi steering wheel, a tool kit, a jack, luggage, and history file. The all-alloy overhead valve V-6 engine displaces 1,991cc and is fitted with twin Weber carburetors helping to produce 75 horsepower at 4,500 RPM. There is a four-speed manual transaxle, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes (inboard at the rear), and an independent suspension with sliding-pillars at the front and trailing arms and coil springs at the rear.

by Dan Vaughan

Only 330 examples of the striking B24 were ever produced. This very special automobile, produced for a scant 3 years, offered a host of bristling features in typical Lancia fashion. From the lovely Pininfarina lines down to the remarkably modern mechanicals, the Aurelia B24 Spider was a guaranteed classic.

The Aurelia series was comprised of a full lineup of first-rate cars, with the B20 GT coupe and B24 Spider stationed at its top. The B20 GT was an influential car in its own right. Automotive author Quentin Wilson recognizes that the car is 'often credited as the first of the new breed of modern postwar GT's.' The model that history has looked upon with the most favor, though, has been the B24 Spider.

The B24 offered all the mechanical prowess of other Aurelias, and combined it with the best styling of the series. One of Pininfarina's masterpieces, the B24 is today one of the most highly regarded Lancias. It was a true roadster with a very basic top and simple side curtains as the only degrees of separation between the driver and the outside world. Yet its ample luggage space and pleasant interior begged for an alfresco getaway into the rich scenery of its Italian homeland.

Featuring monocoque construction, already a Lancia hallmark for decades, the B24 was built by Pininfarina. That famed carrozzerie of Italy also, of course, penned the elegant lines.

With its tight, lean curves, the Lancia escaped the bulbous trends of the 1950's. At the car's front, the wheels rested beneath sleek pontoon fenders with subtle flares. Those fenders swept back to form a seamless downward curve that ran nearly to the rear edge of the doors before quickly ramping back up to a peak just beyond the cockpit. The rear fenders, bulging slightly from the rest of the car, formed tight muscles in a predatory haunch. The B24's graceful, athletic stance belied its superb poise.

There was terrific attention to detail in the Lancia's design. The way the split front bumpers led to the proud grille. The way the unfettered rear could have been grown from the soil. The way the delicate curved windshield rested lightly atop the body, an airy marvel of metal and glass placed as if only to frame for driver and passenger the gorgeous view out over the long hood. The Aurelia was fine sculpture at its fastest.

All that elegance translated perfectly into the interior. Free of fussy details, its painted metal dash housed a simple array of instruments and a thin wood-rim steering wheel. The seats took up the width of the interior and, with tops flush with the car's body, blended seamlessly with the B24's outside.

The Aurelia's mechanical sophistication was every bit as impressive as the design. At the heart of the B24 was a 2451cc V6 cast entirely of aluminum alloy. The Aurelia series brought to market the first ever mass-produced V6, and it was a gem. With its 60-degree V and light construction, the engine would not be out of place in a new car. The phenomenal sound may be unheard of today, but the basic design surely is not.

Vittorio Jano was the man responsible for the development of the Lancia V6, which began life as a 1754cc unit. Jano, an invaluable engineer with Alfa Romeo during the company's all-conquering racing career of the 1920's and 1930's, knew more about building fine engines than perhaps anyone else at the time. His metallic marvel produced 118hp in the B24.

The engine was not the only impressive collection of moving parts on the Lancia. The car's other famous feature was its transaxle. Incorporating the transmission, differential, and even brakes all into one compact unit had several benefits on the car. Most notably, it perfected weight distribution and reduced unsprung weight at the rear axle. The result was a great-handling automobile with ballet dancer balance and razor-sharp reflexes.

Suspending the Lancia was a relatively simple system with a sliding pillar up front. The rear of the car used leaf springs, but a De Dion rear axle ensured the excellent road manners already made possible by the car's light engine and use of a transaxle.

Market values of the Aurelia B24 Spider have reached stratospheric heights, and the cars routinely sell for well over $200,000. These vehicles have become established classics with unrivaled Italian pedigree and prestige. They have rightly become known as one of the best Lancias ever made.

Sources Used:

Wilson, Quentin. The Ultimate Classic Car Book. First. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1995.

by Evan Acuña

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.

Lancia lengthened the B21 and dubbed it the B15. It received a de-tuned engine, now producing 65 horsepower. Bodied by Bertone, the B15 was produced in low quantities; just over 80 examples were created.

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 Dan Vaughan