LANCIA

Aurelia

The Lancia Aurelia was named, in the Lancia tradition, after a Roman road, the Via Aurelia that runs from Rome to Pisa. Launched in 1950 and developed under the legendary engineer Vittorio Jano, the Lancia Aurelia was a technical tour de force that introduced the world's first series-production V6 engine, a smooth 60-degree unit conceived by Francesco De Virgilio. It also pioneered a rear transaxle mating the gearbox and differential at the back for ideal weight distribution, along with independent rear suspension. While the original B10 was a refined saloon, the model achieved immortality in 1951 with the arrival of the B20 GT, a fastback coupe designed by Pinin Farina and built on a shortened wheelbase. Compact, fast and beautifully balanced, the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT is widely credited as the first true grand tourer, and it proved its breeding in competition with a famous second place at the 1951 Mille Miglia and a class win at Le Mans. An open B24 Spider, the car that starred in the film Il Sorpasso, followed in 1954 with its dramatic wraparound windscreen. Across six series and all bodystyles, 17,336 examples of the Lancia Aurelia were built, including 3,871 of the cherished B20 coupes. Sophisticated, expensive to build and technically years ahead of its rivals, the Lancia Aurelia remains one of the most admired and collectible Italian classics of the 1950s.