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The Lancia Aurelia is a car produced by
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
manufacturer
Lancia Lancia () is an Italian car manufacturer and a subsidiary of FCA Italy S.p.A., which is currently a Stellantis division. The present legal entity of Lancia was formed in January 2007 when its corporate parent reorganised its businesses, but it ...
from 1950 to the summer of 1958. It is noted for using one of the first series-production
V6 engine A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...
s. Several body styles were offered: 4-door saloon, 2-door GT
coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
(B20), 2-door
spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
/convertible (B24), and a chassis to be custom bodied by external
coachbuilder A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...
s. Establishing a post-war Lancia tradition, the car was named after a
Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...
: the
Via Aurelia The ''Via Aurelia'' (Latin for "Aurelian Way") is a Roman road in Italy constructed in approximately 241 BC. The project was undertaken by Gaius Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor.Hornblower, Simon, & Antony Spawforth. ''The Oxford Cl ...
, leading from Rome to Pisa.


Specifications

The Aurelia was designed under the direction of engineer
Vittorio Jano Vittorio Jano ( hu, János Viktor; 22 April 1891 – 13 March 1965) was an Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s. Jano was born ''Viktor János'' in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immi ...
. Its engine, one of the first production V6 engines, a 60° design developed by Francesco de Virgilio, who was between 1943 and 1948 a Lancia engineer, and who worked under Jano. During production, capacity grew from 1.8  L to 2.5 L. Prototype engines used a bore and stroke of 68 mm x 72 mm for 1,569  cc; these were tested between 1946 and 1948. It was an all-
alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductility, ...
pushrod A valvetrain or valve train is a mechanical system that controls the operation of the intake and exhaust valves in an internal combustion engine. The intake valves control the flow of air/fuel mixture (or air alone for direct-injected engines) ...
design with a single camshaft between the cylinder banks. A
hemi Hemi may refer to: People Surname * Jack Hemi (1914–1996), New Zealand freezing worker, rugby union and league player, shearer * Ronald Hemi (1933–2000), New Zealand rugby union player Given name * Hemi Bawa, Indian painter and sculptor * H ...
spherical combustion chamber and in-line
valves A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fitting ...
were used. A single
Solex Solex may refer to: * Solex (musician), Dutch musician * Solex Carburetor, a French manufacturer of carburetors and the powered bicycle VéloSoleX * Solex College, a former private for-profit college in Chicago, Illinois * Solex Unit, a fictiona ...
or Weber
carburettor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meterin ...
completed the engine. Some uprated 1,991 cc models were fitted with twin carburettors. At the rear was an innovative combination
transaxle A transaxle is a single mechanical device which combines the functions of an automobile's transmission, axle, and differential into one integrated assembly. It can be produced in both manual and automatic versions. Engine and drive at the s ...
with the
gearbox Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), differe ...
,
clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
, differential, and inboard-mounted
drum brake A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of shoes or pads that press outward against a rotating cylinder-shaped part called a brake drum. The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surfac ...
s. The front suspension was a
sliding pillar A sliding pillar suspension is a form of independent front suspension for light cars. The stub axle and wheel assembly are attached to a vertical pillar or kingpin which slides up and down through a bush or bushes which are attached to the veh ...
design, with rear semi-trailing arms replaced by a
de Dion tube De Dion rear axle A de Dion tube is a form of non-independent automobile suspension. It is a considerable improvement over the swing axle, Hotchkiss drive, or live axle. Because it plays no part in transmitting power to the drive wheels, it is ...
in the Fourth series. The Aurelia was also first car to be fitted with
radial tire A radial tire (more properly, a radial-ply tire) is a particular design of vehicular tire. In this design, the cord plies are arranged at 90 degrees to the direction of travel, or radially (from the center of the tire). Radial tire construction ...
s as standard equipment. Initially 165SR400
Michelin Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ''région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and la ...
X and later on the sports models fitted with 165HR400
Pirelli Cinturato The Pirelli Cinturato is a Pirelli-developed car tyre that was the first example of a wrap-around radial tyre structure. It was used to good effect in motorsport, and most modern tyres are based upon the design. The five-times Formula One World C ...
. ;B21 engine technical specifications Bore: 72.00 mm.
Stroke: 81.50 mm.
Displacement: 1991 cc.
Dry weight: 150 kg.
Firing order: 1L-4R-3L-6R-5L-2R.
Carburetors: Solex 30 AAI, 23 and 24mm venturis.
Power: 75 Gross HP @4500RPM.


History


First series

The very first Aurelias were the B10 berlinas (sedans). They used a 1754 cc version of the V6 which produced . The B21 was released in 1951 with a larger 1991 cc engine. A 2-door B20 GT
coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
appeared that same year. It had a shorter
wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...
and a
Ghia Carrozzeria Ghia SpA (established 1916 in Turin) is an Italian automobile design and coachbuilder, coachbuilding firm, established by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio as "Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio". The headquarters are located at Corso Guglielmo Mar ...
-designed,
Pinin Farina Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 December 2015, the Indian ...
-built body. The same 1991 cc engine produced in the B20. In all, 500 first series Aurelias were produced.


Second series

The second series Aurelia coupé pushed power up to from the 1991 cc V6 with a higher
compression ratio The compression ratio is the ratio between the volume of the cylinder and combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine at their maximum and minimum values. A fundamental specification for such engines, it is measured two ways: the stati ...
and repositioned valves. Other changes included better brakes and minor styling tweaks, such as chromed bumpers instead of the aluminium ones used in the earlier car. A new dashboard featured two larger instrument gauges. The suspension was unchanged from the first series. A new B22 sedan was released in 1952 with dual Webers and a hotter camshaft for .


Third series

The third series appeared in 1953 with a larger 2451 cc version of the engine. The rear of the car lost the tail fins of the earlier series.


Fourth series

The fourth series introduced the new
de Dion tube De Dion rear axle A de Dion tube is a form of non-independent automobile suspension. It is a considerable improvement over the swing axle, Hotchkiss drive, or live axle. Because it plays no part in transmitting power to the drive wheels, it is ...
rear suspension. The engine was changed from white metal bearings to shell bearings. An open car, the B24 Spider, was introduced at this time (1954 to 1955) and was well received. It was similar to the B20 coupé mechanically, with an 8-inch (203 mm) shorter wheelbase than the coupé. The fourth series cars were the first Aurelias to be available in left-hand drive; fourth series Aurelias were the first ones to be imported to the US in any number. This model was immortalized by
Dino Risi Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''. Biography Risi was born in Milan. He had an o ...
's 1962 movie ''
Il Sorpasso ''Il sorpasso'' (, occasionally titled ''The Easy Life'') is a 1962 Italian cult comedy film co-written and directed by Dino Risi and starring Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Catherine Spaak. It is considered Risi's masterpiece and ...
'' ("The Easy Life"), starring
Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important productions ...
. The actual car used for shooting (a single model) was not destroyed during the accident scene sealing the end of the story: an
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Alfa Romeo Giulietta is the name of three different automobiles made by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo: * The first Giulietta (Type 750 and 101) was a rear-wheel drive car made from 1954 to 1965, in 4-door saloon/sedan, coupé, spider and e ...
Spider was used as replacement.


Fifth series

The fifth series coupé, appearing in 1956, was more luxury-oriented. It had a different transaxle (split case), which was more robust and similar to that used in the later Flaminias. The driveshaft was also revised to reduce vibration. Alongside the fifth series coupés was a revised open car, the B24 convertible. This differed from the earlier B24 Spider, having roll-up windows, better seating position, and a windscreen with vent windows. In mechanical aspects, the B24 convertible was similar to the coupé of the same series.


Sixth series

Power was down to for the 1957 sixth series, with increased torque to offset the greater weight of the later car. The sixth series coupés had vent windows, and typically a chrome strip down the bonnet. They were the most touring oriented of the B20 series. The sixth series B24 convertible was very similar to the fifth series, with some minor differences in trim. Most notably, the fuel tank was in the boot, not behind the seats as it was in the fourth and fifth series open cars. This change, however, did not apply for the first 150 sixth series cars, which were like the fifth series. The sixth series convertibles also featured different seats than either both earlier cars.


Models


Lancia Aurelia Spider (B24)

Produced only in 1954-1955, 240 cars were built. Panoramic front windscreen, distinctive 2 part chrome bumpers, removable side screens, soft top and Pinin Farina styling. 181 LHD cars with B24S ('sinistra') designation; the remaining 59 cars were right-hand drive. All were equipped with 2451 cc engines. The dashboard features one prominent and two small dials. In 2014, RM Auctions sold a "
barn find A barn find is a classic car, aircraft or motorcycle that has been rediscovered after being stored, often in derelict condition. The term comes from their tendency to be found in places such as barns, sheds, carports and outbuildings where they ...
" 1955 Aurelia Spider at auction for £500,000 ($805,154 USD). In 2014, Gooding and Company Auctions sold a restored 1955 Aurelia Spider for $1,815,000. File:1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider.jpg, 1955 Aurelia B24 Spider File:Lancia Aurelia Spider (7946278382).jpg, Aurelia B24 Spider File:Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider (29664633733).jpg File:Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider (30179643562).jpg File:Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider (31567464051).jpg File:Lancia Aurelia-B24-Spider Front-view.JPG File:Lancia Aurelia-B24-Spider Rear-view.JPG


Lancia Aurelia Convertible (B24)

Produced from 1956, second series with many small alterations to the Aurelia Spider. One part chrome bumpers and wider bonnet air-scoop. Cars from this series no longer have panoramic windscreen and now have fixed quarter-lights. 521 cars were built. All had 2,451cc engines. Dashboard features 2 big dials. File:Lancia aurelia b24.jpg, 1957 Aurelia B24 Convertible File:2006 SAG - Lancia Aurelia Gran Turismo 1955-01.JPG, 1958 Aurelia B24 Convertible File:1957 Lancia Aurelia B24 - red - fvl3 (4637136453).jpg File:1957 Lancia Aurelia B24 - red - rvr (4637747780).jpg


B50 Cabriolet

The first prototype of the B50 cabriolet was shown at the 1950 Turin Auto Show. Produced in small numbers, around 265 cars, by cabriolet-specialist Pinin Farina, the B50 Cabriolet was a four-seat comfortable cruiser. It is powered by a 1,754cc engine. The majority of the production was done between 1950-1952. Some cars had an improved B52 platform.


Motorsport

In the 1951
Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...
a 2-litre Aurelia, driven by
Giovanni Bracco Giovanni Bracco (6 June 1908 at Biella – 7 August 1968 at Biella) was an Italian racing car driver. He lived in Biella, home town of other racing aces such as Mario Porrino and Lamberto Grolla. Before and after World War II he had been racing ...
and
Umberto Maglioli Umberto Maglioli (5 June 1928 – 7 February 1999) was a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 13 September 1953. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 3 championship ...
, finished second, beaten only by a
Ferrari 340 America Ferrari America is a series of top-end Ferrari models built in the 1950s and 1960s. They were large grand touring cars with the largest V12 engines and often had custom bodywork. All America models used a live axle in the rear, were front-eng ...
. The same year it took first in class and 12th overall at the
24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
. Modified Aurelias took the first three places in the 1952
Targa Florio The Targa Florio was a public road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island's capital of Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 ...
with
Felice Bonetto Felice Bonetto (9 June 1903 in Manerbio, near Brescia, Italy – 21 November 1953 in Silao, Mexico) was a courageous racing driver who earned the nickname ''Il Pirata'' (The Pirate). He was a road racing legend, who started racing in the 1930 ...
as the winner and another win on Lièges-Rome-Lièges of 1953. The fifth edition of the Coppa della Toscana netted 1-2-3 victory for the Lancia Aurelia GT 2500 of Scuderia Lancia. One of the most important wins came in 1954 at the Monte Carlo Rally. An Aurelia GT co-driven by
Louis Chiron Louis Alexandre Chiron (3 August 1899 – 22 June 1979) was a Monégasque racing driver who competed in rallies, sports car races, and Grands Prix. Among the greatest drivers between the two World Wars, his career embraced over thirty years, ...
and Ciro Basadonna took the top step of the podium, which was the first of Lancia’s many overall victories at the legendary rally held on the roads above the principality.


Production numbers

;Notes * not including one pre-production B24 prototype constructed in 1954


In popular culture

The Lancia Aurelia is featured prominently in ''
The Calculus Affair ''The Calculus Affair'' (french: link=no, L'Affaire Tournesol) is the eighteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé. It was serialised weekly in Belgium's ''Tintin'' magazine from Decemb ...
'', one of ''
The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 bande dessinée#Formats, ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one ...
'', in the story's car chase scene. The car's Italian driver has great pride in Italian cars, which he claims are the best in the world.
Dino Risi Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''. Biography Risi was born in Milan. He had an o ...
's 1962 movie ''
The Easy Life ''Il sorpasso'' (, occasionally titled ''The Easy Life'') is a 1962 Italian cult comedy film co-written and directed by Dino Risi and starring Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Catherine Spaak. It is considered Risi's masterpiece and ...
'' (''Il Sorpasso'', starring Vittorio Gassmann and
Jean-Louis Trintignant Jean-Louis Xavier Trintignant (; 11 December 1930 – 17 June 2022) was a French actor. He made his theatrical debut in 1951, and went on to be regarded as one of the best French dramatic actors of the post-war era. He starred in many classic fi ...
, a fine example of the ''
Commedia all'italiana Commedia all'italiana (, pl. Commedie all'italiana, "Comedy in the Italian way") or Italian-style comedy is an Italian film genre born in Italy in the 1950s and developed in the 1960s and 1970s. It is widely considered to have started with Mari ...
'' genre) features the Lancia Aurelia, one of the most iconic cars in Italian cinema. It was unusual at that time for a film to be filmed almost entirely in a car and ''The Easy Life'' can be considered one of the first road movies. The Lancia Aurelia used was a 1958 B24 Convertible and the driving scenes were very unusually filmed on the road rather than with a projected backdrop.


References

* * *
Lancia Aurelia at Lanciastory


External links


Lancia Motor Club (UK)
{{Lancia Post War
Aurelia Aurelia may refer to: People * Version of feminine given name Aurélie * Aurelia (mother of Caesar) * Aurelia gens, a Roman family * Aurelia Browder, American civil rights activist * Astrud Aurelia, American drag queen Science * ''Aurelia'' (c ...
Grand tourers Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Convertibles Coupés Sedans 1950s cars Cars introduced in 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans race cars