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1955 Lancia Aurelia

Convertibles
2739 Alexander Avenue, Dublin, CA 94568
$339,000
Make: Lancia
Model: Lancia Aurelia
Year: 1955

This 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America is one of just 240 Spiders built during a single year of production and is among 181 configured in left-hand drive. Chassis 1044 was delivered new in the US after being completed on May 27, 1955, and is believed to have spent time under the ownership of a Brooklyn collector before being purchased in 1963 by an Illinois owner whose family retained it for 32 years. In 1995 the car was sold via a Los Angeles dealer to an Italian owner who commissioned a three-year refurbishment that included a repaint of the body and Fontana “low-roof” hardtop in pale blue and a re-trim of the interior in dark blue leather. After three years with a Milanese owner, it was purchased by a California owner who commissioned the installation of a Nardi dual-carburetor intake manifold and Borrani wire wheels before the car’s return to the US. The car made an appearance at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance during the ensuing 14 years in California, after which it returned to Europe and received further mechanical freshening. It was purchased two and a half years ago by its current owner, who has since driven it in the Colorado Grand twice. Powered by a 2,451cc V6 paired with a four-speed manual transaxle, the car also features sliding-pillar front suspension, a De Dion rear axle, and hydraulic drum brakes with inboard rear units. This B24S Spider is now offered at no reserve by the seller on behalf of the current owner with a Lancia Classiche Certificato di Origine, a Centro Storico Fiat certificate, invoices dating back to the 1990s, photos from the 1990s refurbishment, and a clean Montana title in the name of the owner’s LLC. Unveiled at the 1955 Brussels Motor Show, the B24 Spider variant of the Aurelia featured Pinin Farina-designed coachwork over a shortened version of the chassis utilized by the fourth-series Aurelia GT coupe, with which the Spider also shared its mechanical underpinnings. The Spider was available in both right- and left-hand-drive, or sinistra, configurations and was produced for a single year only before being succeeded by the more conventionally appointed B24 convertible. Originally finished in Grigio, this example was stripped to bare metal before being repainted in its current shade of Azzurro during the refurbishment performed between the mid-to late-1990s, at which time the Fontana removable hardtop was refinished to match. Styling elements include a panoramic windshield, low-profile doors free of exterior handles, split bumpers, an intake scoop allowing a lower hood line, and a blue convertible top that can be stowed beneath the rear bodywork. The soft top rear window was replaced in 2023. Borrani wire wheels were trued and balanced during work performed between 2022 and 2023 and are secured by two-eared knock-offs. Michelin X tires measuring 165R400 were mounted during the project. Stopping is handled by hydraulic drum brakes with inboard rear units, and service performed between 2022 and 2023 included replacement of the master cylinder and wheel cylinders as well as turning of the drums. The cabin was re-trimmed during the 1990s refurbishment and features dark blue leather over buckets seats for two with matching upholstery over the dash edge, kick panels, and lower portions of the door panels. Features include black rubber floor mats, latch-and-link lap belts, door pull straps, a shifter to the right of the center tunnel, storage pockets on each seatback, an open dash cubby, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, and a radio blanking plate. The wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of Veglia instrumentation including a 180-km/h speedometer, a 6k-rpm tachometer, and a combination gauge monitoring oil pressure and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 9k kilometers (~6k miles), approximately 2,700 of which have been added under current ownership. True mileage is unknown. The 2,451cc V6 is an evolution of the Francesco de Virgilio-designed power plant that made the Aurelia the first V6-powered production car and features a 60° angle between cylinder banks, an aluminum block, aluminum cylinder heads with hemispherical combustion chambers, and pushrod-driven overhead valves. A Nardi intake manifold and air cleaner were added in the early 2000s, allowing induction through twin Weber 40 DCL5 carburetors. Service performed by Fast Cars of Redondo Beach, California, between 2022 and 2023 included the addition of PerTronix electronic ignition as well as rebuilds of the generator and steering box, a valve adjustment, replacement of the fuel pump, and adjustments to the carburetors. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a rear-mounted four-speed manual transaxle, and work between 2022 and 2023 included replacement of the clutch and throwout bearing. The sliding-pillar independent front suspension incorporates coil springs and adjustable shocks contained in oil around vertical pins on either end of a beam axle, while the rear suspension shares the De Dion axle that was introduced on all fourth-series Aurelias. Suspension work during the last three years included rebuilds of the front shocks and rear leaf springs as well as refinishing of various components. The mufflers were replaced in 2022. An album containing photographs from the 1990s refurbishment is included in the sale, as are invoices from the 2022-2023 work. The Lancia Classiche certificate of origin lists the original colors and component numbers as well as completion in May 1955.

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