Beschreibung:

2,451cc OHV All-Alloy V6 Engine Dual-throat Weber Carburetor 112bhp at 4,700rpm 4-Speed Manual Transaxle Sliding Pillar Front Suspension - Di Dion Rear Axle 4-Wheel Drum Brakes - Inboard Rear *Desirable LHD, 2.5-liter B20 GT with floor shift *Gorgeous Pinin Farina design and coachwork *In current ownership for more than 34 years *Eligible for many prominent tours and rallies THE LANCIA AURELIA Introduced in 1907, the Vincenzo Lancia's first car showed an independence of thought and defiance of convention that would remain associated with the marque well into the modern era. Lancia recommenced production after WWII with the Aprilia and its smaller cousin the Ardea. However, waiting in the wings was yet another groundbreaking design: the Aurelia. Lancia's classic Aurelia, the first car ever to employ a V6 engine, was launched at the 1950 Turin Motor Show. Designed in wartime by Francesco de Virgilio, the 1,754cc 60-degree V6 was of all-aluminum construction and used overhead valves operated via short pushrods instead of Lancia's traditional overhead camshafts. An advanced unitary-construction design, the Aurelia retained Lancia's "sliding pillar" independent front suspension, first seen on the Lambda, but used a novel semi-trailing-arm layout at the rear, another world first. The transmission, too, was unusual, comprising a two-piece prop-shaft and combined gearbox/rear transaxle on which were mounted the inboard brakes, though for once this was not an entirely new departure. The B10 Saloon was joined the following year by the Pinin Farina-styled B20 GT Coupe, a fastback "2+2" on a shortened wheelbase which, with its combination of sports car performance and saloon car practicality, can be said to have introduced the Gran Turismo concept to the world. The Aurelia engine had been increased to 1,991cc in 1951 and it was this unit in up-rated form that went into the B20 GT. Lighter and higher geared than the Saloon, the B20 GT was good for a top speed of over 100mph. An engineering tour de force clothed in sublime coachwork by Italy's foremost carrozzeria, the Aurelia B20 represents, for many, the zenith of Lancia's post-war production. Stunning the motor racing world, a mildly race-developed B20 GT driven by chain-smoking, brandy-swigging Giovanni Bracco finished 2nd in the 1951 Mille Miglia, beaten only by Luigi Villoresi's 4.1-liter works Ferrari! It is worth noting that the nimble Aurelia was actually faster than the Ferrari over the mountain passes north of Florence. Sharing his Aurelia B20 GT with Umberto Maglioli, Bracco won the Targa Florio for Lancia in 1952 and in 1954 another B20 won the Monte Carlo Rally in the hands of the famous Monegasque driver Louis Chiron. THE MOTORCAR OFFERED According to Niels Jonassen's book on the model, Lancia Aurelia in Detail, the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT offered here, chassis number B20S 1832, was the 69th to last produced example of the legendary B20 GT. The car was configured as a left-hand drive example, just as it appears today. The B20 GT was one of 425 examples produced in the final and fully-evolved sixth series production run, built between 1957 and 1958. These end-of-the-run sixth series GT Coupe's featured many creature comforts: roll-up windows, better sound deadening, and a triangular quarter vent window. Mechanical features included the larger 2.5-liter all-alloy V6 engine and the sophisticated De Dion rear axle. Although the Lancia's early history remains unknown, the car is known to have been owned by California-based collectors in the 1970s. By the 1980s, B20S 1791 was in the hands of Portola Valley, California resident Mr. Steve Stern, and was here purchased by the consignor in 1984. The Lancia had recently received a comprehensive restoration during this period. The purchase was arranged through Bruce Trenery's Emeryville, California-based classic car dealership, Fantasy Junction. The desirable Lancia Aurelia has since formed part of the consignor's exceptional collection of