Lancia Aurelia B24 'America' Spider
Chassis: B24*1009

A matching numbers Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider sympathetically restored by marque specialists Thornley Kelham. Fully documented and accompanied by a factory hard-top, it is ready for a spirited Sunday afternoon drive or starring role in a concours d'elegance.

- Superb example of the sought after Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider
- One of Pininfarina's all-time great designs
- Engineered under the supervision of the great Vittorio Jano
- Five owners from new and just three owners between 1955 and 2011
- One of just two of the 59 right-hand-drive cars finished in black
- Sold new to Italy and remained there until 2011
- Comes with an original Pinin Farina hard-top
- Sympathetic restoration by marque specialists Thornley Kelham, fully documented in a book
- Original seat covers preserved during the restoration and stored with the car
- Fitted with matching numbers V6 engine
- Accompanied by extensive documentation including FIVA identity card, and Lancia Certificato d'Identita and Automotoclub Storico Italiano certificates

The Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider

Launched at the 1954 Brussels Auto Salon, the Lancia Aurelia B24 'America' Spider embodies everything that makes Italian cars of this era so highly revered to this day. It combined a sophisticated, motorsport proven chassis with the first V6 engine ever fitted to a production road car and a particularly striking Spider bodywork by Pinin Farina. Only 240 examples were built in 1954 and 1955 before it was replaced by the toned down Convertible.

The Aurelia name was derived from the Via Aurelia, which was a paved road that connects Rome with Pisa and dates back to 241 BC. There was nothing ancient about the car itself, which had been designed under the supervision of legendary engineer Vittorio Jano. The chassis featured independent suspension all around with sliding pillars at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear. Another motorsport inspired feature was the use of a transaxle; the four-speed gearbox was mounted as a single unit with the final drive. The rear brakes were mounted in-board.

At the heart of the Aurelia was a 60° V6 engine that had been designed by Francesco de Virgillio. It featured a centrally mounted camshaft that actuated the overhead valves of the hemispherical combustion chambers through push-rods. Initially displacing a mere 1,569 cc, the all-aluminium alloy engine gradually grew in size and by the time the B24 Spider was introduced it had a volume of 2,451 cc and produced 118 bhp. The Aurelia was among the first, if not the very first regular production car powered by a V6. It was also equipped with the newfangled radial tyres as standard.

Lancia originally offered a very understated 'Berlina' or sedan body but quickly added the B20 GT Coupe to the line-up. It used a shortened wheelbase and a Pinin Farina built fastback body. With class wins in the Mille Miglia and 24 Hours of Le Mans, the B20 GT added motorsport credentials to the Aurelia. Continuously developed, the V6-engined Lancia received a de Dion rear axle with the fourth series introduced in 1954.

It was this fourth series that would form the basis for the B24 'America' Spider. Shortened by another 200 mm, the Aurelia chassis was clothed in a voluptuous Pinin Farina body that featured distinct split front bumpers mounted on either side of the prominent Lancia-badged grille and a panoramic front windscreen. To appeal to the burgeoning Californian market, it was fitted only with removable side screens and a very rudimental soft top. The minimalistic approach is also illustrated by the lack of conventional doorhandles. Instead the doors were opened by a pull-cord fitted on the inside.

Italian luxury cars of the day were traditionally built with right-hand drive but to appeal to American customers, the B24 Spider was also available as left-hand drive. These were referred to as B24S, for sinistra, which is Italian for left. With most Aurelia B24 'America' Spiders earmarked for the United States, it is not surprising that of the 240 examples produced only 59 were right-hand drive. Legendary American importer Max Hoffman, who had also championed the Porsche 356 Speedster and Mercedes-Benz famously ordered 50 examples in one batch.

With its light weight and competition proven engine, it was no surprise to see some owners race the B24 Spider as well. Crucially, two were entered in the 1955 Mille Miglia, which makes the model eligible today for the prestigious Mille Miglia retrospective. An Aurelia Spider also starred alongside Brigitte Bardot in the movie "Et dieu... Créa la Femme" (And God Created Woman).

In 1956, the America Spider was replaced by the more lavishly appointed and slightly less powerful B24 Convertible. Of the 240 examples built, it is believed that as few as 150 have survived. Today, the Aurelia B24 Spider ranks among the most sought after of all Lancias; a true design and engineering icon from the heyday of Italian motoring.

This car

As per the original factory records, construction of this Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider was started on April 7, 1955. It was the ninth right-hand drive example built and accordingly received the chassis number B24*1009 and engine 1017. Pinin Farina finished the Aurelia Spider with a black exterior and a pelle chiara or light tan leather interior. Only one other right-hand drive America Spider would be finished in black from the factory.

Completed on May 18th, it was first registered for the road by new owner Dr. Cirino Rao from Milan under the number MI 72216H. Originally from Sicily, Dr. Rao was a great Lancia enthusiast and by 2011 was still a member of the Italian Lancia Club. He regularly used the car before eventually selling to Veniero Molari of Turin. Another great enthusiast, signore Molari continued to use the Aurelia Spider and at some point, the original engine was swapped out for a replacement V6 engine.

In 1979, chassis B24*1009 was acquired by Rainer Schulte-Bulmke. He clearly had a taste for Lancia Aurelia B24 Spiders as he already owned B24*1007 at the time. This was described as a complete restoration project but as luck would have it was fitted with Aurelia engine # 1017, which had originally powered B24*1009. Schulte-Bulmke swapped the engines to ensure that B24*1009 was matching numbers, which it remains to this day.

Schulte-Bulmke kept meticulous records of the car and it was registered with the Registro Lancia, the Automotoclub Storico Italiano (ASI) and the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA). In the ASI registration papers that come with the car, it was noted in November of 1988 that the car had in fact been reunited with the engine that had been originally fitted with the car. The same is confirmed in the Registro Lancia papers.

After a 32-year ownership, and long after he had sold the now restored B24*1007, Schulte-Bulmke decided to part with his cherished B24 Spider. Leaving Italy for the first time, it was acquired in 2011 by Simon Thornley of the award winning Thornley Kelham restoration shop. In a letter to Kelham, Schulte-Bulmke noted that there had never been a serious mechanical issue and that he considered the acceleration quite remarkable.

Thornley decided to submit the B24 Spider to a bare metal restoration. It would be the first time that the highly original, fastidiously maintained and virtually rust free Aurelia was taken apart. During this process only repairs for minor dents in the bodywork were discovered. During the sympathetic restoration, all the original components were preserved and while the interior was re-upholstered, the original leather was also preserved and is still with the car. A correct Pinin Farina hard-top was also sourced during the restoration.

The complete restoration process was captured in a beautiful book that is also part of the accompanied documents. The work was completed in time for the 2015 Salon Privé, where it finished runner-up in the 'Wind in your Hair' category. It was subsequently also shown at the 2016 Zoute Classic in Belgium.

It 2017, B24*1009 was acquired by the vendor, who became just the fifth owner from new. Following the matching number's car arrival in Germany, it was entrusted to Lancia specialists B&F Touring Garage for a tune-up. Rarely used since the restoration, it is today offered ready to use on the road for a spirited drive, show on a concours field or enter in road rallies like the Mille Miglia Storica. Sympathetically restored to the highest standards by a marque specialist, the Aurelia B24 Spider comes complete with a wealth of documentation, the original interior and a factory hard-top.