Lancia Aurelia B22 - 1953
— The avant-garde sedan by Lancia —- Model A rare car produced in only 877 units
- History Our car is a first production model sold new in 1953 in Italy where it spent its entire life before joining our collection.
- Innovation The first production car equipped with a V6 engine and radial tyres
- Design An interesting Lancia design that stands out for its lack of central pillar.
- Historic competition A car eligible to the famous Mille Miglia
Since its creation in 1908 by Vincenzo Lancia, a former racing driver, the Turin-based car manufacturer has always been known for being Independent-minded, and noted for its technological innovations and its quest of performance. The Aurelia presented in 1950 is a perfect example of such DNA with its world premieres, notably that of being powered by a V6 engine or being fit with radial tyres. This superb car might be lesser known than the B20 Coupés and the B24 Spiders but is just as endearing
An elegant sedan packed with technological innovations.
Unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1950 and produced until 1958, the Aurelia is worthy of Lancia’s avant-garde reputation.
Carrying on a tradition started after the war by its president, Gianni Lancia, son of the brand’s founder Vincenzo, the car was named after a Roman road: the famous Via Aurelia that links Rome to Pisa.
Designed by Gianni Lancia and the very talented mechanical engineer Vittorio Jano, the Lancia Aurelia embodied the top of the range of the prestigious Italian brand at a time when it was competing with the best European car manufacturers. The Aurelia combined comfort, luxury and driving pleasure.
Launched at the Turin Motor Show in 1950 in two versions, the B10 saloon and the B50 cabriolet, which was designed and built by Pinin Farina (see card), the Aurelia was then launched in several versions according to a nomenclature specific to Lancia, where “A” designated the larger cars, “B” the medium ones, “C” the small cars and “D” the competition cars.
Thus, after the B10 and B50, Lancia launched the B20 GT, a sporty coupe and the B24 Spider America, both being by far the most famous and most coveted versions of the Aurelia today. In our opinion, the more discreet yet remarkable B22 sedan should not be overlooked…
The B22’s rather discreet design is worth a long look as it is both very elegant, even subtle, and typically Lancia with its high beltline, large round headlights surrounding the tall front grille, subtle fenders, short rear-end and multiple curves. Without the central pillar, the line is actually really refined, reminiscent of the Appia 1 Series in XL format.
In short, the more you look at it, the more you become attached to this very special design.
©Aguttes
The world’s first production V6
The Aurelia will forever be known as the first production car in the world to be powered by a V6 engine, in this case a central camshaft engine, the only one of its kind at the time.
While the B10 type had only 1,754 cm3, the B22, which appeared in 1952, had a displacement of 1,991 cm3 thanks to an increase in bore and stroke of 72 mm and 81.5 mm respectively. The resulting power output is 90 bhp at 5,000 rpm for a maximum speed of 160 km/h. This was truly a great performance for a “family” car.
A profusion of technological innovations
In addition to its V8-engine, the Aurelia B22 was equipped with an innovative gearbox and drum brakes mounted inside the vehicle.
The Lancia Aurelia will also stay in history as the very first production car to have been fitted with radial tyres. Initially fitted with Michelin X 165SR400s, the car was later mounted with Pirelli Cinturato 165HR400s for its sports version.
Thus, for Lancia enthusiasts, the Aurelia is considered as one of the brand’s greatest models.
The Aurelia B22 from the ANNA LISA collection
Our Aurelia with its 90 bhp V6 engine at 5,000 rpm, its special camshaft and its Weber double-body carburettor belongs to the Aurelia B22 first series, of which only 877 were produced between 1952 and 1953.
Sold new in black, the car was first registered on 19 June 1953 in the name of a certain Mr Ghezzani.
Two years later it was sold to Mr. Leopoldo Ciglia who kept it until 1961, when it was sold to Mr. Lida Tinghi. It had two other Italian owners before joining the ANNA LISA Art On Wheels collection.
This very interesting sedan is eligible for the Mille Miglia, as a similar car was entered in period. Its magnificent V6 engine, a model of technicality and performance, is without doubt an asset of choice to cover the 1600 kilometres of the round trip between Brescia and Rome…
©Aguttes