One-Off Lancia Aurelia Show Car Goes Under the Hammer

A Lancia Aurelia coupe one-off display car originally created for the 1953 Turin Motor Show is set to be auctioned at the upcoming Amelia Island sale on march 12, RM Auctions announced. Mated to an already-rare B53 chassis, of which fewer than 90 examples were produced, the vehicle in question has been extensively restored.

Technical wise, the car is fitted with a 80 bhp, 1,991cc OHV V-6 engine, four-speed manual gearbox, sliding pillar front suspension, independent rear suspension with coil springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

“The car’s mechanical underpinnings trace their lineage to the excellent Gianni Lancia and Vittorio Jano-designed Aurelia, which remains notable as Lancia’s first all-new, postwar automobile design,” a company statement reads.

The vehicle’s design belongs to Giovanni Michelotti, while having been built by Carrozzeria Allemano. This is the same company that also fabricated (and sometimes designed) bodies for such highly esteemed marques as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Fiat and Maserati. The bonnet and doors were fashioned in aluminum, which was still considered an exotic metal in the 1950s.

“The elegant two-door, four-place coupe he created exudes conservative elegance, representing nothing less than the automotive equivalent of a finely tailored suit. It also, however, shows expected Italian flair in the twin air intakes flanking the grille and in the striking black-over-blue color scheme. The coupe’s profile ends with dramatically sloping rear fenders that lend the overall design a decidedly sporting flavor,” RM Auctions says.

Offered with its original Italian registration plates, this unique 1952 Lancia Aurelia B53 Coupe by Allemano is estimated at $125,000-$150,000.