Aurelia B20GT owners/former owners/experts

HI, Ill try and help.
I owned a 1955 series4 B20 from 2005 untill 2008.
It was a weak moment of wife pressure that i sold it, and truth be told, i have been looking to re-purchase a series 2 ever since.
I participated with the car in the 2006 Colorado Grand, and it was a blast! The car proved to be both fun, comfortable and ultra reliable.

Which one:
To some it up, there is nothing more balanced then a good Aurelia. I would stick to series 2-4, 5&6 got heavier and less exciting.

The fin design of series 1&2 have grown on me lately and to me, represent timeless elegance. 1&2 are with a smaller engine but a significantly more light in feeling and road holding. 3&4 represent the most balance with a larger 2.5 liter engine, and 5&6 are more Americanized - if you will - with a heavier GT feeling.
Personal choice i believe...

Prices:
Have doubled in recent years. From mid 50's for ok cars in 2005 to now 125-150 for good no questions cars. Early ones tend to be more expensive due to event eligibility, rarity and better European bid.
Generally speaking i do think the Aurelia is still underpriced relative to other Italian stuff out there, and is emerging from the esoteric shadows into the common autophile realm.


Note: These cars are not simple, and thus require a skilled and experienced mechanic. If you have one within reasonable distance then its very helpful, otherwise you will have to do allot by yourself. Generally my car and others i know have proven very reliable.


Enjoy and good luck.
And ps dont forget to post re your progress.

rgds
Elad

 

Try Lancisti.net.

 

I have worked on them and once owned a Flaminia, it's later, bigger brother. Great cars. Fun to drive and beautifully built. Probably the best built of the Italian cars. Their cars were famous for their handling.

 

Tony Nicosia, Costa Mesa

But unless you have great patience, you will probably find it necessary to look in Europe. Fortunately the dollar is a little more robust these days.

The "other Italian cars" forum on AlfaBB probably has more Lancia-related traffic than any Lancia board.

+1 to what Elad said about these cars being complicated. The company was run by out-of-control engineers. Virtually every mechanical element of these cars is uniquely conceived and a potential trap for the uninformed mechanic. Caveat.

Don

 

Jack,
Try Dominicks European Car repair, they usually have 2-3 Aurelias in their shop being worked on at any point in time, and have a line into one or two. There is - i believe - a B20 for sale there.

http://www.dexknows.com/business_profiles/dominick_european_car_reprs-l808535015

Disclaimer: I'm a client of theirs and they took care of my B20 when i had it.

My (ex) car, is presently in San-Francisco with a nice Gentleman named Jules.

rgds
Elad

 

I have a 4th series Aurelia, albeit a Spider, and a 6th series B20.

The main advantage of the 6th (and 5th) series, apart from the beefed up transaxle, is the one piece prop shaft which avoids the pestinential vibration problems of the earlier cars with their two piece arrangement.

The 6th series motor has a different cam so is torquier and nicer to use most of the time. Yes, they are a little heavier, a bit more 'GT' perhaps (nothing wrong with that it is THE gt after all), but in most applications it's a better car.

Watch out for rust and bodged mechanicals - when they're right they're great but one that has been got at could be a nightmare.

 

My friend is willing to sell his perfect S4 series car with Nardi floor gearchange.. black and restored by Autosport in Bologna.. beutiful..

Nik

 

Currently a '55 Spider, a '57 Convertible, and a '64 Flaminia PF coupe 2.8 3B.

As others have said, the earlier cars are lighter in feel and weight. For your purposes, a 4s might well be the best bet. I've wanted one to match the Spider. But the later ones will be a bit more relaxing, and the vent windows on the 6s do reduce wind buffeting. There are few pre 4s cars in the States, so choice and spares are an issue.

The early tunnel box (1-4s) has a shorter throw, and has mechanical actuation. The later split case box has a longer throw, and the hydraulic clutch with a larger disc. I prefer the earlier setup, and find it interesting that Lancia agreed, and went back to mechanical, with a split case, for the Flam, also adding synchro 1st. As for B20 shift location, the column shift was one of the best ever, and would be my choice.

Power-wise the later cams are a bit more torquey, to make up for added weight, but none are particularly powerful anyway. They're more about balance and handling than brute force. And style. Don't forget the style.

The coupes are a bit boomy inside, however, and a friend with a 2s brings ear plugs. I recently read about wind noise as being a significant factor in hearing loss. One more excuse I have to ignore my wife. The Convertible with the hardtop on is in some ways an improvement, and can be said to be more comfortable than the B20.

The PF is a different beast altogether. Not much bigger, but with more weight, it needs the extra torque to get going. It's a lot roomier, with better visibility, carrying 4 or five, and with the A arm front end and disc brakes that'll stop a truck, make it a much easier high speed cruiser. The steering is heavy at low speeds, but lightens up at speed. We don't have a working speedo, but once got clocked at 88, with more to go. It's not as nimble as the B20, though, and the 175x400 tires are no longer available. As the 185s are too big, that leaves only the 165s. So you end up a bit under tired. The Touring and Zagato cars used 165s, the Berlinas 185s. Again, with the PF, you get style in spades, in this case as the production version of the Florida II, the car Battista PF kept and drove himself, and would have taken to heaven, or so he said.

Though as pushrod motors they don't rev much past 5,500 or so, they're all happiest with your foot stuck in it, some where above 3500. You really can't go wrong.

But I'll be putting the Convertible on the market shortly, along with the PF, if the Flaminia Super Sport comes through. Can't keep 'em all.
-Steve

NB- The drive shafts on the B10/B12 were the ones that went from 2 piece to one piece. All the rest are 2 piece. The Flaminias were 2 piece, except for the 2.8 Berlinas and PFs, which again went to 1 piece. And the Aurelia drum brakes are more than adequate. I've gotten them so hot they've turned blue...

 

Still looking ? I just noticed that there's a very nice Series IV at Cooper Classics: http://www.cooperclassiccars.com/CarPages/54LanciaB20GT.asp, although the pricing is undoubtedly at Manhattan levels.

 

A reread of my previous post reveals an error. The Flaminia Berlina and PF Coupe ran on 175x400 tires, not 185x400. A minor matter, perhaps, but important none the less.