Three megabuck GT legends from Mercedes, Jaguar and Lancia.
Here at Classics Monthly, we usually feature cars that readers can remember from their past, or ones they can realistically aspire to own. For a change of pace today though, we are sampling three seductive GTs from the 1950s that were then – and are even
Having assembled these three glorious vehicles for our photoshoot, I am thinking that I must have died and gone to heaven
If you were looking for a sporting grand tourer in the mid-1950s, there was a reasonable sprinkling of GTs on offer. From Italy, there was the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce and Lancia Aurelia GT, from Germany the Mercedes- Benz 300SL Gullwing, whilst from the UK there was the Jensen 541, the Aston Martin DB2/4 and the Jaguar XK140 Coupé.
For me, the three that stand out must be the Gullwing because it has become an icon of the time, the Aurelia GT because it was aeons ahead in the handling department, and Jaguar's XK140 because of its apparent value for money. So having assembled these three glorious vehicles for our photoshoot, I am thinking that I must have died and gone to heaven and I feel like pinching myself to make sure it's not a dream. Just look at them – three of the most fabulous motor cars to ever grace the tarmac. But what were these three 1950s Grand Tourers like in the flesh, and which will prove to be my ultimate GT?
LANCIA B20 COUPÉ Price new: £2800 Current value: £100,000+
At a time when you could buy a new Aston Martin DB2/4 for £2621 or a Jensen 541 for just £2146, the Lancia Aurelia was rather a lot of money at £2800. There were three body designs originally offered in the range – an open B24 Spider, a convertible and the two door coupé. Although the open cars were popular, particularly in the USA, it was generally the 2- door Aurelia coupé that caught everyone’s eyes when it first appeared in 1950. The innovative fastback shape was far ahead of its time, and the Aurelia is considered by many to have been the first true GT as we have come to know it today.
Some say the design owed its origins to the pen of Ghia, whilst other pundits maintain it was drawn in the studios of Pininfarina. Either way, the B20 Coupé's clean, elegant lines appear almost perfect from any angle. This 1956 Series Five B20 Coupé is one of only 119 righthand drive cars built, so it is also extremely rare.
First registered in 1956, it is powered by Lancia's 2451cc lightweight all-aluminium hemihead 60- degree V6 engine, fed by a downdraft Weber 40 carburettor and producing 118bhp. Lancia was in fact the first manufacturer to offer a production V6 engine. Designed by Francesco de Virgilio, it was an extension of his earlier Lancia Aprilia V4 design. Interestingly de Virgilio designed the Aurelia B20 V6 cylinder heads unhanded, and therefore they are interchangeable.
The unitary monocoque construction comprised of a body built from rather heavy gauge steel of good structural integrity that has stood the test of time well.
As a result of designer Vittorio Jano’s clever transmission and suspension work, the B20's weight distribution is an almost perfect 50/ 50 split front and rear. Drive is carried via a two-piece propshaft to a rear trans-axle incorporating a four-speed gearbox, plus clutch and differential. The front suspension is by sliding pillars developed from the early 1920s Lancia Lambda, with built-in shock absorbers and coil springs as a unit. This, combined with the rear de Dion system, adds up to an easy car to drive thanks to its beautifully predictable handling.
Climbing aboard for the first time, the dated but comfortable interior is best described as 'Italian classic minimalistic.' In the rear compartment there are also two upholstered seats, and although there is very little leg room, there would be space for a couple of small children. Under the dash and somewhat confusingly, the choke lever is marked 'Starter' and the useful hand throttle marked 'Acceleratore.'
I turn the key, press the starter and listen to the exhaust note settling into its subdued thrum. The column-mounted gear lever is perfectly easy to operate, and there is no discernible lost movement in the linkage as I select first.
Accelerating away hard once the engine is nicely warmed up, the exhaust note morphs into a typically Italian bark. Through second gear and up into third, the willing two and a half litre V6 is pulling well, but even though I am using all of the 5300rpm available below the red line on the tachometer, there seems to be an enormous gap between third and fourth gears. Eventually, I realise that the best approach when you are
trying hard around the B-roads is to stick with second and third, and treat fourth almost like an overdrive. Once up into top however, with approximately 22mph per 1000rpm, the B20 will stay with modern traffic well past 80mph – and still have another 30mph to offer! And even at higher cruising speeds, exhaust noise from the willing – if not overly potent – 2451cc V6 is not at all intrusive.
The Aurelia's non-assisted brakes are designed so that the shoes are adjustable on all planes within the drum, and they are probably the most effective drum brakes I have ever tried. The Lancia is of course somewhat down on power compared to the 300SL and the XK140, and while it might not offer a thrilling blast of raw power, it is the enjoyment derived from the delicacy of its handling that makes it the car for the connoisseur.
The way the Coupé carries itself through corners really put a smile on my face. The worm and sector steering box is taut and together, with no lost motion. There is plenty of feel through the steering wheel, and I can feel the road communicating through my hands. With just 118bhp available, you know that you are not going to be blasting out of the corners like a rocket, so you go in as fast as you dare, scrub off speed in the drift and rely on the Aurelia's perfectly neutral handling to carry you through.
It rolls a bit, yes, but the whole thing simply feels so right. The comfort and poise of the Lancia Aurelia is quite amazing, and for its time it was astonishingly advanced in the handling department. As I park up and switch off the ignition, I cannot help thinking that I could drive this car all day long just for pure pleasure. It was not a cheap motor car back in the day, but if you were after a driver's car and could afford the asking price, you certainly got your money's worth.
The B20 will stay with modern traffic well past 80mph
MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL Price new: £1800 Current value: £1M+
The Mercedes- Benz 300SL was built between 1954 and 1957. This example is one of the 1440 built from steel but with the bonnet, bootlid and doors of aluminium, whilst 29 allaluminium ultra-light Gullwings were built for competition.
It was also conceived with a view to getting Mercedes- Benz back to where the brand had been prior to World War Two, as the design was radical and advanced. It was also the first production car to be fitted with fuel injection, the system having been developed by Bosch in conjunction with Mercedes for the 300SLR sports racers and W196 Grand Prix cars.
In the model numbering, 300 signified the three-litre engine, whilst SL stood for Sport Leicht denoting the lightweight bodyshell. The six- cylinder, single overhead camshaft engine produced between 240 and 250bhp, and while that may not sound astonishing in 2021, it is still good enough to shift the car from zero to sixty miles per hour in 7.8 seconds, top out at 165mph and cruise all day at 130mph+ on the German autobahns. Sixty-four years ago in the USA, where around 80% of the 300SL production ended up, this was the supercar responsible for changing the staid Mercedes image to one of a more sporting nature.
In the quest for body strength and stiffness, the very wide, high sills combined with the gullwing doors to provide structural integrity. Getting in and out gracefully over those sills is not that easy though, even if the downward hinging steering wheel does make life a little less embarrassing for those with a certain girth.
Once inside the car, there is an air of style, charisma and opulence. The deep, sumptuous seats are covered in red leather and are extremely comfortable. A set of fitted luggage cases held down by leather straps sits in the space behind the front seats, while much of the boot is taken up with the huge spare wheel. Feeling comfortable and cosseted, I grasp the big white steering wheel and check out the cockpit. All the instrument dials are black with white figures and set in a full width white painted dashboard. As usual the speedometer and the tachometer are in front of the driver, whilst the various sundry dials are laid out below, to the right and left of the steering wheel. Even though the car was designed well before the word 'ergonomic' was bandied about, Mercedes- Benz built the 300SL with a dial and control layout that was pretty much spot on by using good old common sense, and everything is logically placed and easy to reach.
The three-litre straight-six starts readily and settles to a quiet tickover immediately, thanks no doubt to the fuel injection. The clutch is easy to operate once you realise that a certain amount of strength is required when depressing the pedal. The gear selection is delightfully smooth, although the gap across the gate does seem rather huge at first. Once on the move, the recirculating ball steering on the Mercedes is taught and accurate, but it does lack the precision and feedback of a good rack and pinion system. The servo assisted brakes are excellent, but here again there is not the sharp feel and response of discs.
At speed, the exhaust is not in the least obtrusive, and there is plenty of torque so that from around 30mph the car will pull strongly in top gear. However, accelerate hard from standstill and the exhaust note from the straight-six growls deeply. There is bundles of power on hand, and when you wind it up, the car really starts to fly. At 80mph in second gear I grab third and
watch the speedo spool up well past 110mph on our private test track venue before slipping the lever back into top. Depending on the axle ratio chosen for individual cars, top speed is anything from 149 to 162mph, but in deference to the current value of this car I won't be testing that today.
The whole atmosphere of the 300SL certainly makes it one of the most impressive cars that I have ever driven. It does seem somewhat odd, however, that Mercedes fitted a swing axle rear suspension, because that seems to be the car's only shortcoming. Indeed, it does have a certain reputation for swapping ends if you charge into a bend too fast and then back off. Furthermore, if the car's 28 gallon fuel tank placed in the boot is full, then the situation is exacerbated.
I was privileged to be chatting to the late, great Sir Stirling Moss some years ago, when he was reunited with the 300SL Gullwing coupé he used with Denis Jenkinson for reconnoitring the Mille Miglia prior to his astonishing recordbreaking victory of 1955. He told me: 'The Gullwing was quite different from the 300SLR that I drove on the actual Mille Miglia event. That had a low roll centre pivot swing axle and therefore rather different handling characteristics. The Gullwing could not be driven as fast, but it was perfectly fine while Jenks and I used it during our recces.'
The swing axle arrangement certainly requires respect, but as long as one is aware of this short- coming, whilst driving the car at normal legal rates it is unlikely to cause a problem. And it is worth making the effort to master it because the MercedesBenz 300SL Gullwing is a truly spectacularly glamorous grand tourer. Then as now, on the road everybody seems to notice it and give you a thumbs up. And who can blame them?
The 300SL is a truly spectacularly glamorous grand tourer
JAGUAR XK140 FHC Price new: £1830 Current value: £80,000
The Jaguar XK140 was a development of the earlier XK120. It first appeared at the 1954 London Motor Show, and was available in either open or closed form. The fixed head coupé version was stretched by three inches (76mm) and given occasional 2+2 seating, so it made an ideal grand touring sports machine. Combined with repositioning the engine further forward, moving the battery to the rear and fitting new updated shock absorbers, the new dimensions provided the almost perfect weight distribution of 50.3% front and 49.7% rear. As a result, the new XK140 delivered a great leap forward in road holding compared to the earlier XK120, whilst also providing extra leg room plus two occasional rear seats into the bargain.
The elegant feline shape of the Jaguar XK series is legendary, and to my mind the XK140 is still most attractive. The body is comprised of steel panels with bonnet, boot and doors of aluminium, all mounted on a triangulated tubular frame. The roofline of the XK140 was raised an inch over that of the earlier XK120, so the feeling in the cockpit is one of relative airiness. This XK140 also benefits from a Webasto sunroof, a boon during summer months.
The car originally left the factory in standard trim, and was upgraded later to SE (or Special Equipment) spec. The SE specification includes the high compression C-type cylinder head and high efficiency exhaust system which in essence increases power output from the 190bhp available in the standard model to a far more potent 210bhp. It is also fitted with a close ratio gearbox and the very sensible addition of front disc brakes instead of the original drums, plus individual bucket seats replacing the original bench seat arrangement.
As soon as you slip behind that large cruciform steering wheel you know that you are in a Jaguar. Gripping the large wood rim of the wheel, I cast my eyes over the large speedometer, rev counter, full selection of sundry gauges and the row of toggle switches set in the classic wood veneer dashboard. Satisfied all is in order, I turn the key and press the starter button.
The 3.4-litre straight-six XK starts and settles down to a typical Jaguar burble. I dip the clutch and slide the chrome lever forward into first gear, finding that the clutch is reasonably light and the drive is taken up perfectly smoothly. There is no synchromesh on first gear in the Moss gearbox, but that is not really an issue once you are on the move. The 'box does not like to be rushed, but so long as you are careful and precise, changes are easy.
The owner of this car has fitted an E-type headlamp flasher stalk on the steering column and utilised the floor dip switch to bring in the overdrive on top gear. When activated, it slips in seamlessly and, combined with the close ratio gearbox, the system could not be bettered. The steering rack, which had been developed for the C-type, is precise and delivers a direct and sporting feel. When hustling the Jaguar through a corner, the weight of the engine up front translates into a feeling of being well planted, while the ideal weight distribution results in the most delightful controlled slides and power- on drifts.
Although acceleration from zero to 60mph in 11 seconds is not astonishing by modern standards, the torque of the great Jaguar XK twin overhead camshaft 3.4-litre engine is most impressive. Its flexibility will allow the car to trundle along at a low crawl without
problem, and then pull away cleanly in almost any gear. Playing with the gearbox is terrific fun, and dropping down to crawl and then flooring the throttle in second will have the rear tyres spinning. I hold the throttle down and grip is quickly regained before the rev counter spools up to 5000rpm, at which point I move the lever across the gate into third. As I shift back into fourth with the Special Equipment twin exhaust crying its dark howl, I find myself grinning like a Cheshire cat. There truly is little that can beat the sound of an XK engine at full chat.
This 1955 Jaguar can easily run close to its maximum of 130mph in overdrive top gear, and hold high speeds all day long where they are permitted. As a genuine GT capable of wafting across Europe in comfort with space for a couple of small kids in the back, it remains a most impressive motor car. Considering this car was on sale when new in 1955 for less than £1900, it offered amazing value for money. It still does today, and despite being the cheapest of the three cars we have been privileged to test, it is probably the one that I enjoyed the most.
This Jaguar can easily run close to its maximum of 130mph in overdrive top, and hold high speeds all day long where permitted
The way that these three manufacturers approached the GT concept was quite different. All three cars clearly make fine grand touring machines, but in terms of desirability one can easily be swayed by the excesses of current day values on the Lancia and particularly the Mercedes. When values are taken out of the equation though, certain characteristics emerge and it is interesting to reflect on my dream day.
The Lancia Aurelia ride and handling is superb, while the level of comfort for the time is also terrific. The Mercedes Gullwing with its tilting steering wheel, its wide and high sills and great gullwing doors is certainly the car to have if you want to impress people. Whilst both these cars provide a unique driving experience, it was the Jaguar XK140 FHC that surprised me the most. Although providing 2+2 seating, it still managed to deliver a true sports car feel. In fact it was so
When values are taken out of the equation, certain characteristics emerge and it is interesting to reflect on my dream day
immensely satisfying to drive that I came away wondering how on earth William Lyons managed to deliver such a brilliant package for such a modest sum.