RM Sotheby's newly launched exhibition and auction series "The Festival of Wonder" will take place in Geneva from November 7 to 11, 2020. Attractions include exhibitions, educational events and a series of auctions, both on site and online.
A particularly elegant Aurelia
One of the hottest items up for auction, at least from a classic car enthusiast's perspective, is likely to be a very special Lancia convertible, a 1953 Lancia Aurelia B52 Spider to be precise. The car was fitted by Carrozzeria Vignale as a one-off and was presented at the Brussels Motor Show in 1955. In addition, the B52 chassis was only built twelve times in 1953.
The Lancia Aurelia was the first production car with a V6 engine and brought Lancia into the post-war era with pride. Unfortunately, the Aurelia initially lacked power. Lancia wanted to change this with chassis B52 in 1952. The chassis was made lighter and a little more power was teased out of the V6.
The chassis B52-1097 offered here was completed on February 6, 1953 and then taken to the Carrozzeria Vignale in Turin, where it became a one-off with a spider body. Despite the "coachbuilt flair", the car is unmistakably a Lancia, as can be seen from the typical radiator grille and the four headlights.
After completion at Vignale, this Aurelia was shipped to Belgium and made an appearance at the Brussels Motor Show in 1955. The car was not on the Vignale stand, but on that of Lancia, which can be interpreted as a sign of Lancia's recognition of Vignale's work. The vehicle was painted in Metallic Lake Green with a bordeaux-colored interior. Just as it is still there today.
Memory gap
Unfortunately, it is not really known what happened to the vehicle after the Brussels Motor Show. All that is known is that the Aurelia remained in Belgium until 2007. It was then bought by an Italian collector and extensively restored in 2012. The restoration was carried out by the highly respected Carrozzeria Quality Cars of Vigonza. Over 2450 hours of work were invested. The work paid off, as the Aurelia is now in immaculate condition. The car was awarded a FIVA identity card and also an ASI certificate of authenticity.
A truly unique piece, manufactured by one of the most celebrated Italian coachbuilders in perfect condition. The estimated value is around 500,000 to 550,000 Swiss francs (approx. 468,00 to 514,798 euros).
More information about "The Festival of Wonder" can be found at RM Sotheby's, where you can also find more information about the Aurelia.
