1955 Lancia Aurelia B20GT – Auction Car of the Week

The Lancia Aurelia was an important car. Is an important car. Not just for Lancia but for the motoring world in general. Not only did it feature the very first V6 to be fitted to a production car, it was also the first with radial tyres – something that would subsequently become the norm. It was a trendsetter and technologically advanced for the time thanks to the drive and vision of chief engineer Vittorio Janohe would later go on to lend his considerable expertise to Ferrari, designing its successful V6 and V12 engines.

With a strong tubular chassis housing independent front and rear suspension, along with a rear-mounted transaxle that incorporated the clutch, gearbox, differential, and inboard drum brakes, the front-engined, rear wheel-drive Aurelia had near perfect weight distribution. This made it ideally suited to the twisty rural roadways of its native Italy, and by association, the illustrious Mille Miglia and Targa Florio cross-country races.

With notable successes in the motorsport arena, including those competitions mentioned above, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monte Carlo Rally, the Aurelia certainly had the mouth to match its trousers. And what a pair of trousers! Designed by Ghia, built by Pininfarina (quite the combo!) and originally offered as a four-door saloon it was a beautiful looking car and it wasn’t long until a more sporty, two-door coupé was put into production. The B20GT, as it was known, is the example we have available here and featured a shorter wheelbase as well as a larger, 1991cc V6 producing around 70bhp.

Our car, however, is a fourth-gen model and that means it has the 112bhp. 2.5-litre V6 under the bonnet – the largest and most powerful engine offered by Lancia during the B20’s seven year production run. It also has the later De Dion tube rear suspension. The Aurelia was constantly developed and tweaked as the years rolled on with six series in total being produced and each subsequent version being continually improved over the previous model.

This matching numbers (backed up by Lancia heritage certification) 1955 Lancia Aurelia B20GT was extensively restored in the 2000s and as such presents incredibly well overall. Yes, there are a few imperfections beginning to show now but the bodywork appears very straight and the history file shows that the lower portions of the wheel arches and the sills were replaced before the car was re-painted and re-chromed. It may not be a concours example but that’s a good thing as far as we’re concerned. It means it can be used and enjoyed and who wouldn’t want to run this piece of automotive art in the various historic races and rallies that it is most certainly eligible for?

As part of the restoration process the interior of the Aurelia was also fully re-trimmed, including new leather and Panni Grigio cloth on the seats. It’s a wonderful place to be and retains its originality, even down to the factory rubber mats. The fuel gauge doesn’t currently work but the rest of the gauges and switchgear function perfectly.

The car is mechanically sound and has covered a mere 1000 miles since the restoration and so it is ready to be enjoyed by its new owner which, dear reader, could be you. All it needs is the winning bid and you could be piloting this beauty through the Italian countryside to the sound of that sonorous six-cylinder engine. Speaking of which, the 2.5-litre V6 has been rebuilt with a new fuel pump and electronic ignition (although the original distributor is supplied) and also features a refreshed carburettor, cooling system and fuel tank so it is very much primed and champing at the bit, so to speak.

Not only is this Lancia Aurelia B20GT a beautiful and well-engineered sportster, it is also incredibly rare. With less than 500 B20 coupés leaving the Lancia factory in 1955 it’s an exclusively mouth-watering proposition. Coupled with its proven racing pedigree there are a lot of kudos points up for grabs here so head over to the listing and take a look at all of the wonderful photos, have a read of the full write-up and then get bidding. You can thank us later.