Clean lines and effortless speed (Lancia Aurelia B20)

 


The 1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 coupe, a Lancia that was less known, yet is considered the path layer for the term ‘Grand Turismo’. Launched on 2^nd April 1951 at the Turin motor show, the man who designed the Aurelia was Francesco De Virgilio, he was an Italian engineer hired by Lancia and was made responsible for the Aurelia. The B20 was a coupe based on the B10 which was the saloon version. The first ever Aurelia was displayed at a private showing on April 15^th 1950 behind Lancia’s downtown business plaza. The Aurelia is also marked as a very special car for Lancia, for two main reasons, the first one being that this was the very first car Lancia manufactured post world war1. Second reason being it was the first car to be developed after the death of Vincenzo Lancia.

The B12 saloon 

What made this car so special?
Apart from the clean timeless design, and its motorsport pedigree the car had many engineering accomplishments. The Aurelia was the first car to be manufactured with a V6 engine, under the guidance of Vittorio Jano (who was hired by the son of Vincenzo Lancia, Gianni Lancia) developed the 2L V6 that was a 60-degree unit, and had a short alloy block. The B20 had a shorter wheel base than the B10 and had a 50-50 weight distribution, this was achieved by a rear-mounted transaxle. The engine was mounted along with rubber bushings to provide that vibration free experience throughout the rev-range. The Aurelia as we know had many mechanical breakthroughs one of them being the placement of independent suspension with coil springs, and semi-trailing arm rear suspension. The car had inboard drum breaks to reduce un-sprung weight. Thought an unpopular opinion I feel that Lancia at the time built far superior cars when compared to Alfa Romeo and Fiat, with less advanced tooling.

The  interior 

More information
The Lancia Aurelia as we know started production in the 50’s with the B10 (saloon/ 4 door), B20 the coupe, and B24 the spider version. The B24 were particularly popular in the U.S market, they were sold in Europe also, the only difference being the style of the front bumper. Now the Aurelia was manufactured till 1958, hence there are in total six series of it, the main changes being the engine. Series one had a 1750cc engine, series 2 had a 2L engine and in 1953 they installed a 2.5L engine. For the purists the sweet spot is the fourth series as it retained the 2.5L V6, additionally it had a De Dion rear axle. What is De Dion axle?   The de Dion rear suspension used a tube to connect (and keep parallel) both rear wheels, giving more predictable handling.

The famous 50 degree V6 

A sketch of the gear shift linkage

Top images belong to the B20s engine, bottom two belong to the B54s

Its success in motorsports.
This car with all its bells and whistles was an expensive car back when it was launched it costed £3346. The car saw success in races such as the famous Mille Miglia it finished 2^nd in the 1951 Mille Miglia a matter of days after leaving the factory. That very year it won in its class at the 24hrs of Le Mans. It had entered into the second Carrera Pan-Americana race and had a very good place, but unfortunately crashed on the fourth day.  

The most attractive Aurelia in my opinion
In my opinion the Lancia Aurelia B52 built by Vignale has to be the most beautiful version of the entire Aurelia line up. So, the B52 was released as a rolling chassis on which coach builders could build their own style of body. Lancia built a measly 86 B52 chassis, followed by a final 12 examples in 1953. It had the 2.0L V6. The car was placed prominently on the Lancia stand in the 1955 Brussels Motor Show in Belgium, the car had the iconic Vignale coach work and was painted in this Metallic Lake Green with a Bordeaux leather interior. In my eyes this car consists of the perfect proportions and the lines and curves are just perfect. Plus, the metallic lake green with that Bordeaux leather interior looks stunning.


















The Aurelia series is truly an iconic car that is less known, however each version just kept looking better than the other, and present day they are very desirable. Now one should appreciate Lancia for its success in racing and surviving as a company, despite the lack of resources. Hence for me as a petrolhead out all the Italian sports car manufacturers Lancia stands out for their success in motorsports and their designs. 
 




Resources:
https://www.thornleykelham.com/1950-ferrari-195s/1951-mille-miglia-lancia-aurelia-b20gt-series-1/#ad-image-10
https://www.fcaheritage.com/en-uk/heritage/stories/lancia-aurelia
https://www.classicargarage.com/losse-paginas/product-detail/lancia-aurelia-b12-saloon-1954

https://girardo.com/car/1953-lancia-aurelia-b52-spider-by-vignale-0