Footnotes

• Introduced in 1907, the Vincenzo Lancia's first car showed an independence of thought and defiance of convention that would remain associated with the marque well into the modern era. Lancia recommenced production after WW2 with the Aprilia and its smaller cousin the Ardea, but waiting in the wings was yet another groundbreaking design: the Aurelia. Lancia's classic Aurelia, the first car ever to employ a V6 engine, was launched at the 1950 Turin Motor Show. Designed in wartime by Francesco de Virgilio, the 1,754cc 60-degree V6 was of all-aluminium construction and used overhead valves operated via short pushrods instead of Lancia's traditional overhead camshafts. An advanced unitary construction design, the Aurelia retained Lancia's 'sliding pillar' independent front suspension, first seen on the Lambda, but used a novel semi-trailing-arm layout at the rear, another world first. The transmission too, was unusual, comprising a two-piece prop-shaft and combined gearbox/rear transaxle on which were mounted the inboard brakes, though for once this was not an entirely new departure.
  
  The B10 saloon was joined the following year by the Pinin Farina-styled B20 Coupé, a fastback '2+2' on a shortened wheelbase which, with its combination of sports car performance and saloon car practicality, can be said to have introduced the Gran Turismo concept to the world. The Aurelia engine had been increased to 1,991cc in 1951 and it was this unit in up-rated form that went into the B20. Lighter and higher geared than the saloon, the B20 was good for a top speed of over 100mph. Stunning the motor racing world, a mildly race-developed B20 driven by chain-smoking, brandy-swigging Giovanni Bracco finished 2nd in the 1951 Mille Miglia, beaten only by Luigi Villoresi's 4.1-litre works Ferrari! It is worth noting that the nimble Aurelia was actually faster than the Ferrari over the mountain passes north of Florence.
  
  Introduced in 1953, the 3rd and subsequent series B20s were powered by a 2,451cc, 118bhp version of the pushrod V6, while 4th-series onwards cars had De Dion rear suspension instead of the original semi-trailing-arm arrangement. The Lancia factory publication, 'The History of Lancia 1906-1989', states that 1,231 2.0-litre B20 GTs were produced (Series I and II) plus a further 1,880 2½-litre cars (Series III to VI). An engineering tour de force clothed in sublime coachwork by Italy's foremost carrozzeria, the Aurelia B20 represents for many the zenith of Lancia's post-war production.
  
  Fully restored in Belgium for touring and rallying, this B20 GT was purchased by the vendor in 2013 from DD Classics. The restoration cost over €100,000 and was carried out by renowned specialists Roeloffs Engineering and Strada e Corse, Schouwenburg – perusal of the file is recommended. The Lancia had been owned in Belgium by Paul Verbeeck, who had purchased it from David Walmsley in California in the early 2000s.
  
  Enthusiastically campaigned in recent years, this Aurelia has complete the Tour España (2008), Tour Auto (2011), Paris-Nice (2011) and Gstaad Classic (2012). Accompanying documentation consists of a V5C Registration Certificate and the aforementioned invoices. An exciting opportunity to own one of these classics of 'old school' Lancia design.