HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LANCIA AURELIA

The tale of the Lancia Aurelia begins in 1950. We’re at Turin’s Motor Show, and the first example of the car model that would’ve rewritten the story of this all-italian brand is unveiled in the Piedmontese capital. A car model that celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2020.

There are 70 candles on Lancia Aurelia’s birthday cake. On the 4th of May 1950 the B10 berlina, inimitable first example of all Aurelia sedan cars, was put on display for all to admire. A car with harmoniously rounded contours, a 1.8-liter 6-cylinder V engine and a load-bearing chassis with independent suspension on all four wheels. A real jewel at that time; a model that, to this day, is still considered among the most iconic of all times, and a symbol of a country’s rebirth after the calamaties brought about by the war. The Aurelia is one of the most advanced and sophisticated models of its historical period, a car that soon became an emblem of economic growth and of confidence in Italy’s progress as a whole. To tell the story of what the Lancia Aurelia was, and what it represented, means to also testify as to the strong will power and the great desire for redemption that animated all of Italy during the post-war difficulties. A magical moment in the car’s evolutionary history, one in which the brand from Turin was a great protagonist by actively participating in the country’s rebirth.

The name of the car model is also a tribute to ancient Rome: with the Aurelia, Lancia inaugurated a dynasty of cars which commemorate the Roman consular roads. In the following years, in fact, Appia and Flaminia (names of two other consular roads of Rome) will also be produced in the Turin factories. Today the Via Aurelia connects Rome with Ventimiglia, near the French border, however at the time of the Roman Empire this road went all the way up to Arles, a Roman settlement in old Gaul.

It is therefore understandable how the historical value is one of the traits that make the Aurelia, with all of its models and variations, one of the most iconic cars of the Italian post-war period, and also quite successful in the international markets. The style of the Savoys, the elegant shapes and the all-italian charm have allowed her to be a protagonist in motion pictures such as “Il sorpasso” with Vittorio Gassman and “Et Dieu crèa la femme” with Brigitte Bardot, films which have legitimized the Lancia Aurelia as an authentic style icon.

The name is also a tribute to ancient Rome: with the Aurelia, Lancia inaugurated a dynasty of cars which commemorate the Roman consular roads.

Among the most appreciated and peculiar Aurelia models is undoubtedly the B52, born (as the name suggests) in 1952 and produced just over 7000 cars during the following two years. The unmistakable Lancia elegance with Pininfarina’s magical touch has made this model even more iconic in shape as well as in design. The Turin car manufacturer continued the pre-war tradition by supplying a limited number of car frames to renowned coachbuilders such as Ghia and Vignale, but it was primarily Pininfarina who designed the chassis of the B52. Aurelia’s first vehicle of this limited edition was unveiled at the 1952 Turin Motor Show. An epitome of performance and sporting style, the B52 has made hosts of enthusiasts and collectors fall in love with her. The audacity of the contours of the new model, traced by the unmistakable hand of Pininfarina, has attracted the attention of both the public and critics ever since its debut. The B52 also stands out for the very long shape of its tail, which enhances the already generous dimensions of the car’s body. Lancia also used the B52 with its 90 horsepower 2.0 V6 engine as the basis for one of the most characteristic Spiders ever produced in the Turin factories. This is the 1953 PF 200c, a specimen of which was sold at auction for over one million euros.

The style of the Savoys and the elegant shapes of this car have allowed her to be a protagonist in motion pictures such as “Il sorpasso” with Vittorio Gassman and “Et Dieu crèa la femme” with Brigitte Bardot