Lancia Aurelia B51 Berlina

Vehicle Overview

These were named B50 and B51; the first was suitable for lighter, more streamlined cars, and the second for heavier, more voluminous designs. The B50 provided the underpinnings for numerous magnificent roadsters designed by PininFarina, Stabilimenti Farina and Viotti, and even for the odd coupé (these were much less requested by the wealthiest customers of the time). The more robust B51, on the other hand, was used only for some “Giardiniera” cars or, at best, state limousines, or otherwise for professional vehicles. The cars built on this platform, just 99 in total, were not particularly successful. To an extent this was because the small engine, refined as it was, allowed only limited performance levels when combined with these heavy bodies; mainly, however, it was down to the prices applied by the coach builders, who would happily charge twice the price of a sedan. Considering that around 50 of these platforms were undoubtedly used for Viotti Giardinetta (station wagons), it is reasonable to assume that the sedans built on this “heavy duty” chassis can barely be counted on the fingers of one hand. The B51s, then, are rare in themselves, but the one being offered for sale is even more special, as it is one of nine cars, all with the same design but differing in many details, that made up a single order placed with PininFarina by Vercelli-based Lancia dealership Bocca. In placing this order, Bocca revived a tradition that dated back to the 1930s, and given the magnetic beauty of the design, it is easy to see why it chose to do so. It is probably true to say that only a Lancia can embody such a unique combination of luxury and style.