Classic Cars 1955 Lancia Aurelia

01 April 2011

Originally launch at the 1950 Turin Motorshow, Lancia's Aurelia was the first significant production model to be launched after Word War Two.  It featured the first V6 engine to be used in a mass production car, was one of the first cars to use radial tyres and in an effort to keep the weight of the car as low as possible; aluminium was used in the doors, bonnet and bootlid.

Initial production centred on the four door saloon, with a two door GT Coupe following a year later.  All the mechanicals came from the pen of renowned racing car designer Vittoria Jano.  Because of this, features such as overhead camshafts and a gearbox incorporated in the rear axel made their production car introduction.  These features also gave Aurelia a sporting pedigree from the outset.  This was later to be proved a reality when an Aurellia finished second only to a Ferrari America in the 1951 Mille Miglia and took a class win at Le Mans in the same year.  The 1952 Targa Florio saw a modified Lancia Aurelia take overall victory.  A good sporting record for a humble family saloon.

 By 1955, Lancia were marking the B12 variant of the saloon and B20 Coupe, these are known as the 'fourth series' cars.  By this point many upgrade had been made to car, which now featured sliding pillar front suspension, De Dion tube rear suspension and the replacement of the white-metal bearings in the engine with Vandervell 'Thin Wall' designs.  The engine size had also increased from 1754cc to 2266cc, boosting power to 87bhp.

1955 also saw the introduction of the B24 Spider.  Mechanically similar to the B20 Coupe the Pininfatina designed and build Spider was well received by press and public alike.  At the Brussels Motorshow that year, it was announced that both the Spider and Coupe would receive a new 2451cc engine with 118bhp.

Forth series Aurelia's were the first to be officially exported to the US and many Spiders were produced for the American market.  In many ways, the exportation of Aurelia's to America killed off some of the fun and sportiness of the original cars.  After 1956 the cars start to become softer and more tuned for Touring rather than taping into the racing heritage that Lancia were known for at the time.  Engine power dropped and the weight increased, as Lancia battled to please their US market.  

With this in mind, a 1955 Lancia Aurelia is probably the best version to buy.  They have more power than any other series and thus the best power to weight ratio.  The suspension and handling is no different from the later cars once the De Dion set-up was adopted.  This has also meant that prices for these are high; expect to pay a minimum of £25,000 for a saloon and over £60,000 for a Coupe.  A lot of money but in my opinion a car that's worth every penny.
Tags: classic cars, lancia aurelia, 1955, b24 spider, motorshow, gt coupe, brussels,
Posted In: Classic Cars, Cars,

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