Description
Recent Arrival. We are very excited about this beautiful car, a ‘1952 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Series 2 Coupe by Pininfarina’ in a gorgeous Dark Blue with Grey Interior’.
- Landmark Gran Turismo design
- Prepared for Historic Rallying
- Eligible for many of the most prestigious historic motoring events
Introduced in 1907, the Vincenzo Lancia's first car showed an independence of thought and defiance of convention that would remain associated with the marque well into the modern era. Lancia recommenced production after WW2 with the Aprilia and its smaller cousin the Ardea, but waiting in the wings was yet another groundbreaking design: the Aurelia. Lancia's classic design, the first car ever to employ a V6 engine, was launched at the 1950 Turin Motor Show.
Designed in wartime by Francesco de Virgilio, the 1,754cc 60-degree V6 was of all-aluminium construction and used overhead valves operated via short pushrods instead of Lancia's traditional overhead camshafts. An advanced unitary construction design, the Aurelia retained Lancia's 'sliding pillar' independent front suspension, first seen on the Lambda, but used a novel semi-trailing-arm layout at the rear, another world first. The transmission too, was unusual, comprising a two-piece prop-shaft and combined gearbox/rear transaxle on which were mounted the inboard brakes, though for once this was not an entirely new departure.
The B10 saloon was joined the following year by the Pinin Farina-styled B20 Coupé, a fastback '2+2' on a shortened wheelbase which, with its combination of sports car performance and saloon car practicality, can be said to have introduced the Gran Turismo concept to the world. The Aurelia engine had been increased to 1,991cc in 1951 and it was this unit in up-rated form that went into the B20. Lighter and higher geared than the saloon, the B20 was good for a top speed of over 100mph. Stunning the motor racing world, a mildly race-developed B20 driven by chain-smoking, brandy-swigging Giovanni Bracco finished 2nd in the 1951 Mille Miglia, beaten only by Luigi Villoresi's 4.1-litre works Ferrari! It is worth noting that the nimble Aurelia was actually faster than the Ferrari over the mountain passes north of Florence.
The Lancia factory publication, 'The History of Lancia 1906-1989', states that 1,231 2.0-litre B20 GTs were produced (Series I and II) plus a further 1,880 2½-litre cars (Series III to VI). An engineering tour de force clothed in sublime coachwork by Italy's foremost carrozzeria, the Aurelia B20 represents for many the zenith of Lancia's post-war production.
This is a very special car and a participant in the 2018 and 2020 Mille Miglia, as well as the 2017 California Mille. The Car has a FIVA Card and is fitted with it's original Borrani Wheels and Nardi Kit.
The car was fully and sympathetically restored over a 2 year restoration by marque specialist Scuderia Azzurra and is in perfect concours condition. It has been kept in top condition by the current owner and will be a dream car for a new owner!
As with all early Aurelia’s this car is RHD. While the B20 GT is widely acknowledged to be the world's first Gran Turismo, it is less recognized that the car's sporting reputation rests mostly upon accomplishments of the first two of the six different series that Lancia produced. Most famous is Giovanni Bracco's second place in the 1951 Mille Miglia, in which he outpaced the winning Ferrari over the mountain passes. In the 1951 event B20s took three of the first seven places, and in the 1952 Mille Miglia, four of the first eight.
Full Photoshoot coming shortly!
Call our Sales Team for more information on this stunning Car.
