Vehicle Description
Lancia is known for building Italy's most exquisitely crafted,
cleverly engineered motorcars. Their meticulous attention to detail
often led them down a path of financial struggle, but the
principles set forth by founder Vincenzo Lancia drove his engineers
to create some of the most influential automobiles of all time.
Many of Lancia's pre-war innovations such as independent suspension
and monocoque chassis culminated with the revolutionary Aurelia of
1951. Development of the new flagship began during World War II,
with the first production models arriving in 1951. Since 1919,
Lancia experimented with monocoque chassis construction, which
naturally evolved into the new Aurelia. In conjunction with the
rigid floor and body was an independent suspension system, with
trailing arms in the rear connected to the aft-mounted transaxle.
Not only did the transaxle setup give the Aurelia exceptional
handling balance, but it also allowed for a low driveshaft tunnel,
limiting intrusion into the cabin and providing room for six
passengers in the Berlina models. Other features included inboard
rear brakes, and the world's first production V6 engine complete
with hemispherical combustion chambers. As with nearly all Lancias,
the B10 Aurelia debuted as a four-door Berlina, with the B20 coupe,
B24 spider, and coachbuilt models following suit. To demonstrate
the capabilities of its revolutionary new GT car, Lancia entered
four B20 GTs in the 2-liter class of the 1951 Mille Miglia.
Straight away, the Aurelias showed clean heels to the rest of the
2-liter field. When the torrential rains came, the B20 GT of
Giovanni Bracco and Umberto Maglioli began to close on the leaders,
most of whom were in machinery with two or more times the
displacement of the Aurelia! After a genuinely heroic drive, Bracco
and Maglioli clawed back over five minutes on the leading 4.1-liter
Ferrari, closing the gap to just 20 minutes when the checkered flag
fell after 13 hours of racing. With the sensational second-place
overall in the Mille Miglia, the Aurelia became an instant hero to
thousands of Italians. More success would follow in similarly
grueling events like the Carrera Panamericana and Targa Florio
where the Lancia's deft handling and reliability paid off in
dividends. The Aurelia remains a popular choice for today's
retrospective events, and enthusiasts covet these remarkable
automobiles for their performance, quality, and exquisite beauty.
Proudly offered here is one of the earliest known Aurelia B20 GT
coupes in existence. Chassis number B20 1047 is from the first
batch of 98 pre-production models, and the Italian Aurelia Register
believe this to be a rare Viotti-built example. While the Aurelia
B20 is widely regarded as one of Pininfarina's masterpieces, the
earliest pre-production cars were constructed by Carrozzeria Ghia
or in the case of a handful of Aurelias, Carrozzeria Viotti.
Dispatched on the 18th of July, 1951, chassis 1047 was finished in
beige metallizzato over a nocciola (hazelnut) fabric interior. It
remained in Italy through the 1990s, where it was later restored
and updated with the desirable floor shift and early style sports
manifold with twin Weber 32 DR 7 SP carburetors. After the Italian
restoration, the car spent time in England before coming to the
United States. In 2014, it received a major mechanical service and
tune, before being offered for sale on the West Coast. In the hands
of the most recent owner, the Aurelia traveled to the East Coast,
where it was handed over to the specialists at Automotive
Restorations, Inc, to receive a high-quality restoration totaling
over $100,000. The body was taken down to bare metal, the metalwork
carefully repaired and corrected, and resprayed in this striking
shade of bright red. Furthermore, a full retrim of the interior was
done, along with further mechanical sorting and tuning. Still fresh
from its 2017 restoration, this fabulous Lancia Aurelia presents in
outstanding condition. Unadorned and free of unnecessary heavy
chrome trim and clutter, the body is straight and crisp, with
excellent panel alignment. Brightwork and fittings have been
restored as needed, to include correct finely refurbished bumpers,
fluted Carello headlamps, and amber fog lights, and restored
color-keyed steel wheels, proper Michelin X radials, and new alloy
wheel covers. As part of the recent work, the interior has been
completely retrimmed using Fawn leather on the seats and panels.
The upholstery remains taut and supple, showing only light use
since the project completed. The instruments are a particular
highlight of the cockpit, with distinct green numerals on a
metallic gold background, all set into a body-color metal fascia. A
new, original-style Aurelia steering wheel was fitted at
considerable expense, replacing the cracked original. It also
retains the preferred floor shifter, which best suits the sporting
character of the B20 GT Coupe. Records show this Aurelia had
further mechanical sorting by Automotive Restorations, with work
including rebuilt carburetors, new rubber fuel lines, rebuilt
distributor, and freshened suspension bushings. The 1,991 cc V6
engine presents in superb order, with good quality finishing and
detail under the bonnet. Few cars of the era compare to the Lancia
Aurelia for sheer driving pleasure, and this superb and highly
desirable example is sure to please its next keeper. Likely among
the earliest surviving B20 GTs extant, it is eligible for virtually
any prestigious driving event, including the Mille Miglia, where
Bracco and Maglioli cast the legend of the Aurelia nearly 70 years
ago. Offers welcome and trades considered For additional details
please view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6492-1951-lancia-aurelia-b20gt-coupe/
