| Lancia Aurelia | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lancia Aurelia B12 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Lancia |
| Production | 1950–1958 18,201 made |
| Designer | Felice Mario Boano atGhia (B20 coupé) Pininfarina (B24 convertible) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 4-doorsaloon 2-doorcoupé 2-doorspider 2-doorconvertible |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
|
| Transmission | 4-speedmanual |
| Dimensions | |
| Kerb weight | 1,070–1,215 kg (2,359–2,679 lb)[1] |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Lancia Flaminia |
TheLancia Aurelia is a car manufactured and marketed by theItalian company,Lancia, from 1950 to the summer of 1958 — over a course of sixseries. Configurations included a 4-doorsaloon/sedan, 2-doorcabriolet (B50/B52), 2-door GTcoupé (B20), 2-doorspider/convertible (B24), and as arolling chassis forcoachbuilders. The Aurelia is noted for using one of the first series-productionV6 engines.
Establishing a post-war Lancia tradition, the car was named after aRoman road: theVia Aurelia, leading from Rome to Pisa.
The Aurelia was designed under the direction of engineerVittorio Jano. Its engine, one of the first productionV6 engines, a60° design developed by Francesco de Virgilio, who was between 1943 and 1948 a Lancia engineer, and who worked under Jano. During production, capacity grew from 1.8 L to 2.5 L. Prototype engines used a bore and stroke of 68 mm x 72 mm for 1,569 cc; these were tested between 1946 and 1948. It was an all-alloypushrod design with a single camshaft between the cylinder banks. Ahemispherical combustion chamber and in-linevalves were used.Carburation was by a singleSolex orWeber. Some uprated 1,991 cc models were fitted with twin carburettors.
At the rear was an innovative combinationtransaxle integrating thegearbox,clutch, anddifferential, andinboard-mounteddrum brakes. The front suspension was asliding pillar design, with rearsemi-trailing arms replaced by ade Dion tube in theFourth series. The Aurelia was also first car to be fitted withradial tires as standard equipment.[2]
Bore × stroke: 72.0 mm × 81.5 mm (2.83 in × 3.21 in)
Displacement: 1991 cc
Dry weight: 150 kg
Firing order: 1L-4R-3L-6R-5L-2R
Carburetors: Solex 30 AAI, 23 and 24 mm venturis
Power: 75 PS gross (55 kW) at 4,500 rpm
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The very first Aurelias were theB10berlinas (sedans). They used a 1754 cc version of the V6 which produced 56 hp (42 kW). TheB21 was released in 1951 with a larger 1991 cc 70 hp (52 kW) engine. A 2-doorB20 GTcoupé appeared that same year. It had a shorterwheelbase and aGhia-designed,Pinin Farina-built body. The same 1991 cc engine produced 75 hp (56 kW) in the B20. In all, 500 first series Aurelias were produced.
The second series Aurelia coupé pushed power up to 80 hp (60 kW) from the 1991 cc V6 with a highercompression ratio and repositioned valves. Other changes included better brakes and minor styling tweaks, such as chromed bumpers instead of the aluminium ones used in the earlier car. A new dashboard featured two larger instrument gauges. The suspension was unchanged from the first series. A newB22 sedan was released in 1952 with dualWeber carburetors and a hotter camshaft for 90 hp (67 kW).
The third series appeared in 1953 with a larger 2451 cc version of the engine. The rear of the car lost the tail fins of the earlier series.
The fourth series introduced the newde Dion tube rear suspension. The engine was changed from white metal bearings to shell bearings. An open car, the B24 Spider, was introduced at this time (1954 to 1955) and was well received. It was similar to the B20 coupé mechanically, with an 8-inch (203 mm) shorter wheelbase than the coupé.
The fourth series cars were the first B20 Aurelias to be available in left-hand drive. C. 12% of Series 1 Saloon (Berlina) production - B10, B21, B22 - were left-hand drive.[3] Fourth series Aurelias were the first ones to be imported to the US in any number.
The fifth series coupé, appearing in 1956, was more luxury-oriented. It had a different transaxle (split case), which was more robust and similar to that used in the later Flaminias. The driveshaft was also revised to reduce vibration.
Alongside the fifth series coupés was a revised open car, the B24 convertible. This differed from the earlier B24 Spider, having roll-up windows, better seating position, and a windscreen with vent windows. In mechanical aspects, the B24 convertible was similar to the coupé of the same series.
This model was immortalized byDino Risi's 1962 movieIl Sorpasso ("The Easy Life"), starringVittorio Gassman. The actual car used for shooting (a single model) was not destroyed during the accident scene sealing the end of the story: anAlfa Romeo Giulietta Spider was used as replacement, leading to aninferiority complex for Alfa Romeo drivers ever since.
Power was down to 112 hp (84 kW) for the 1957 sixth series, with increased torque to offset the greater weight of the later car. The sixth series coupés had vent windows, and typically a chrome strip down the bonnet. They were the most touring oriented of the B20 series.
The sixth series B24 convertible was very similar to the fifth series, with some minor differences in trim. Most notably, the fuel tank was in the boot, not behind the seats as it was in the fourth and fifth series open cars. This change, however, did not apply for the first 150 sixth series cars, which were like the fifth series. The sixth series convertibles also featured different seats than either both earlier cars.
The first prototype of the B50 cabriolet was shown at the1950 Turin Auto Show. Produced in small numbers, around 265 cars, by cabriolet-specialist Pinin Farina, the B50 Cabriolet was a four-seat comfortable cruiser. It is powered by a 1,754cc engine. The majority of the production was done between 1950 and 1952. Some cars had an improved B52 platform which came with the 2.0-litre engine of the B20/B21. In total Lancia built only 98 B52 chassis, the last of which was delivered in 1953.[4]
The PF200 was a concept car that debuted on the Pinin Farina (as it was then) stand at the 1952 Turin Motor Show. The show car was built for promotional purposes to generate publicity and was never intended for series production, although Pinin Farina went on to build a further six examples, some open, some closed. The seven PF200s were slightly different from one another, although all featured the signature circular front air intake reminiscent of theNorth American F-86 Sabre jet fighter. The cars featured side air intakes and six exhaust pipes, while instead of stowing the soft-top behind the seats, like many open cars of the period, Pinin Farina arranged for the PF200's hood to fold down out of sight within the body. The PF200 used the chassis and running gear of the Lancia Aurelia B52.[5]
Produced only in 1954–1955, 240 examples of the B24 Aurelia Spider were built. They featured a panoramic front windscreen, distinctive 2 part chrome bumpers, removable side screens, soft top and Pinin Farina styling. 181 LHD cars with B24S ('sinistra') designation; the remaining 59 cars were right-hand drive.[6] All were equipped with 2451 cc V6 engines. Built on a 2,450 mm (8 ft) wheelbase, the B24S Spider was mechanically similar to the 4th Series Aurelia B20, except for different air filters. All models had a floor-mounted gear-change. The dashboard featured one prominent and two small dials.
In 2014, RM Auctions sold a "barn find" 1955 Aurelia Spider at auction for £500,000 ($805,154 USD).
In 2014, Gooding and Company Auctions sold a restored 1955 Aurelia Spider for $1,815,000. In 2023, an unrestored Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America 1955 sold for €540.000 at auction as a barn find.[7]
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Produced from 1956 to 1958, this second series featured many small alterations compared to the Aurelia Spider. It was mechanically based on the 5th series Aurelia B20. Cars from this series have a flatter windscreen with quarter-lights, deeper doors with external handles and wind-up windows. It also had one part chrome bumpers and a wider bonnet air-scoop. It had a proper convertible hood and a hardtop was available. 521 cars were built. The B24S Convertible was built on the same wheelbase as the Spider and used a slightly less powerful (112 hp (84 kW)) 2,451cc V6 engine. The dashboard features 2 big dials.
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In the 1951Mille Miglia a 2-litre Aurelia, driven byGiovanni Bracco andUmberto Maglioli, finished second, beaten only by aFerrari 340 America. The same year it took first in class and 12th overall at the24 Hours of Le Mans. Modified Aurelias took the first three places in the 1952Targa Florio withFelice Bonetto as the winner and another win on Lièges-Rome-Lièges of 1953. The fifth edition of theCoppa della Toscana netted 1-2-3 victory for the Lancia Aurelia GT 2500 of Scuderia Lancia.[8]
One of the most important wins came in 1954 at theMonte Carlo Rally. An Aurelia GT co-driven byLouis Chiron and Ciro Basadonna took the top step of the podium, which was the first of Lancia's many overall victories at the legendary rally held on the roads above the principality.[9]
| Body | Berlina | Coupé | Spider and convertibile | Chassis | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | B10 | B21 | B15 | B22 | B12 | B20 2.0 L | B20 2.5 L | B24 | B50 | B51 | B52 | B53 | B55/56 | B60 | |
| 1950 | 954 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 291 | 51 | — | — | — | — | 1,296 |
| 1951 | 2,994 | 1,118 | — | — | — | 371 | — | — | 193 | 47 | — | — | — | — | 4,723 |
| 1952 | 1,326 | 2,123 | 61 | 294 | — | 736 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 86 | 86 | — | — | 4,714 |
| 1953 | 177 | 539 | 20 | 780 | — | 124 | 720 | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | 1 | 2,373 |
| 1954 | — | — | — | — | 995 | — | 573 | 1[α] | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1,569[α] |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — | 1,372 | — | 426 | 239 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | 2,047 |
| 1956 | — | — | — | — | 33 | — | 189 | 150 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 376 |
| 1957 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 420 | 176 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 596 |
| 1958 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 312 | 195 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 507 |
| Total | 5,451 | 3,780 | 81 | 1,074 | 2,400 | 1,231 | 2,640 | 761[α] | 485 | 99 | 98 | 86 | 14 | 1 | 18,201[α] |
_Via_Aurelia.jpg)
The Lancia Aurelia is featured prominently inThe Calculus Affair, one ofThe Adventures of Tintin, in the story's car chase scene. The car's Italian driver has great pride in Italian cars, which he claims are the best in the world.
Dino Risi's 1962 movieThe Easy Life (Il Sorpasso, starringVittorio Gassmann andJean-Louis Trintignant, a fine example of theCommedia all'italiana genre) features the Lancia Aurelia, one of the most iconic cars in Italian cinema. It was unusual at that time for a film to be filmed almost entirely in a car andThe Easy Life can be considered one of the first road movies. The Lancia Aurelia used was a 1958 B24 Convertible and the driving scenes were very unusually filmed on the road rather than with a projected backdrop.
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