by Mike –

Here is my pick for the classic car for sale today that I would like to own. The Lancia Aurelia was engineered by Vittorio Jano and styled and built by Pinin Farina. Production ran from 1950 to 1958. It was the first production car to use a V6 engine.

The engine is an all-alloy pushrod design with a single camshaft between the cylinder banks. A hemispherical combustion chamber and in-line valves were used. Yes, it is a ‘Hemi’!

Based on a description that I read I think that the car offered here may be the B24 Spider America. This makes it more valuable than a B24 Spider and I am not sure why this is not mentioned in the RM auction description. The price estimate may take this into account because it seems more expensive than a B24 Spider should be.

You Lancia experts let me know if I am all wrong or not.

1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider

RM says:

* 118 bhp, 2,451 cc overhead-valve 60-degree V-6 engine

* Four-speed manual transmission

* Sliding pillar independent front suspension

* De Dion rear axle with a transaxle gearbox differential

* Four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes

* The hottest Italian roadster on the market today

* Ready to drive and enjoy

The Spider’s advanced specification, semi-custom bodywork, and superb build quality made it expensive to build. Only 181 left-hand drive Spiders were made, of which only 114 examples survive today, and even fewer are in restored condition.

This Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider is for sale at the RM auction at Villa Erba on May 25, 2013.

The estimate is €500,000 – €600,000 ($656,750 – $788,100).

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This is a beautiful and expensive Italian classic roadster. The roadsters are valued at more than twice that of a coupe. The Lancia marque has never been as popular in the US as they deserve. I find Lancias to be elegant, stylish and well engineered cars.

I imagine riding down the French, Italian or Big Sur coast with Grace Kelly driving like in the movie “To Catch A Thief” except the car she drove in that movie is a much less expensive Sunbeam Alpine Roadster. The Lancia is more powerful and more beautiful but it is also 10 times the price of the Sunbeam.

I still want the Lancia. How about you?

Let us know what you think about this classic car in the Comments.

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