1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America
- Engine
- V6 transaxle-equipped, displacement consistent with B24 series
- Colour
- Black
Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America chassis B24-1057 is one of only 240 examples built and among approximately 59 delivered in right-hand drive. Completed at the factory in July 1955 and first registered in the United Kingdom that August, it passed through several British owners before a noted Lancia restorer, Brian Collins, undertook a rebuild in the late 1970s to early 1980s. A subsequent long-term custodian commissioned a bare-metal restoration returning the car to its original black coachwork, a period-referenced Fontana-style hardtop, and a turquoise interior retrim. A thorough engine rebuild and mechanical overhaul was completed by Lancia specialist Omicron Engineering in 2021–2022.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate €625,000 – €675,000
- 1955-08-01 →Acquisition unknownFirst UK registered owner(s)partial documentation
Car first registered in the UK in August 1955; identity of this owner or owners not specified in the prose.
- → 1977Acquisition unknownSeries of UK owners during the 1960s and 1970spartial documentation
Multiple registered keepers recorded in the original UK logbook across roughly two decades; colour changed to red and a replacement engine fitted during this period per a 1960 registration document.
- 1977 → 1986Acquisition unknownBrian Collinsfull documentation
A well-regarded Lancia enthusiast and restorer who undertook a full rebuild of the car; the restoration was covered in a Winter 1985 issue of Supercar Classics, copies of which remain in the history file.
- 1986 →Private saleLong-term custodian from 1986partial documentation
Owned the car for roughly two decades before commissioning a full bare-metal repaint back to the original black finish and a retrim of the interior in turquoise; also had a Fontana-style hardtop fabricated during this period.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1960Modification
The car's exterior colour was changed from its original black to red, and a replacement B24 engine was installed; both alterations are noted in the UK registration document of that year.
- —Restoration
Brian Collins undertook a rebuild of the car during his period of ownership; the restored car was subsequently featured in Supercar Classics magazine in Winter 1985.
Exact date of the rebuild not stated; it occurred between 1977 and 1985.
- —Restoration
The Pinin Farina coachwork was stripped to bare metal, repaired as needed, and refinished in the car's original factory black. Concurrently the interior was retrimmed in a pastel turquoise. A Fontana-style hardtop was fabricated with reference to period photographs and painted to match the bodywork.
Work occurred in the mid-2000s, approximately 20 years into the current custodian's ownership; period photographs supplied by Francesco Gandolfi guided the hardtop construction.
- —Engine rebuildOmicron Engineering
Engine rebuilt with new pistons, cylinder liners, valves, and camshaft; a new clutch was fitted and the braking system was overhauled. Total expenditure exceeded £27,000 as documented by invoices in the history file.
Work carried out between November 2021 and February 2022.
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