To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Amelia Island event, 8 - 9
March 2019.
Estimate:
$400,000 - $500,000
- One of 98 Aurelia B52s; only five bodied by Vignale
- Formerly part of the prestigious Blackhawk Collection
- Recent mechanical freshening
Developed as a replacement for the Lancia Aprilia, the Aurelia was
introduced to the public at the Turin Motor Show in 1950. Produced
in several body styles, it was the custom-bodied coachbuilt
Aurelias that would truly stun.
First to arrive was the Aurelia B10 berlina, equipped with a
1,574-cc engine. Plagued with criticism of underperformance, Lancia
soon replaced the four-door saloon with the B21. Visually, the
models looked near identical; however, under the hood the B21 was
equipped with a 1,991-cc V-6. In 1951, the two-door B20 GT coupe
was announced. Designed by Boano from Ghia and produced by Pinin
Farina, the sport coupe had a shortened wheelbase and was equipped
with a tuned version of the B21 engine. A second series soon
followed, with an improved instrument panel and a power output of
80 hp.
In 1952 the factory offered the B52 chassis, with a slight increase
over the B21's 2,860-mm wheelbase, and a 2.0-liter V-6. Offered
only as a bare chassis, the B52 afforded the opportunity for those
exacting clients to order a coachbuilt car to their demanding
specifications.
Built for Count Christian Orssich de Slavetich, a close friend of
King Peter II of Yugoslavia, chassis B52-1026 was sent to
Carrozzeria Vignale. It is thought only five B52s were bodied by
Vignale, and only one other in a similar specification - making
this an incredibly rare beauty. As the Count spent much of his time
in Switzerland, he registered the vehicle in Zurich on 17 August
1954 - as noted by documentation in the history file. Previous sale
records note that he then sold the vehicle in 1960, although the
successive ownership is unclear until the 1990s. At that time, the
B52 underwent a complete restoration at KCA in Milan before being
sent to the U.S. Beautifully restored at the time, the Lancia
Aurelia was a consistent show-winner through the 1990s - including
a class win at the 1995 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Chassis 1026 then became a part of the well-known Blackhawk
Collection, a testament to its rarity and award-winning
presentation. In 2014, the Lancia Aurelia was sold and returned to
its homeland of Switzerland. Invoices on file show that the current
owner has maintained the B52 throughout the years, with work done
to replace spark plugs, clean fuel lines, and maintain the brakes,
as needed.
Not shown at a major concours for over a decade, this Lancia
Aurelia B52 Vignale coupe would certainly impress any jury lucky
enough to inspect it.
Please note that an import duty of 2.5% of the purchase price is
payable on this lot if the buyer is a resident of the United
States.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/am19.