1958 Lancia Aurelia B20GT

The historic competition record of these cars cannot be overlooked; they are eligible and welcome just about everywhere

by Donald Osborne

Despite the fact the Lancia nameplate continues to exist over one hundred years after it was established in Italy, this builder of fast, refined automobiles is relatively unknown outside sporting circles. Lancia cars competing over the past century have won everything from F1 races to World Rally Championships.

Vincenzo Lancia began working as a bookkeeper in an automobile factory, but by 1899 he had become a chief inspector at Fiat. After his prowess as a racer was discovered, he founded Lancia & Cie, Fabbrica Automobili, in 1906. The firm’s first car was destroyed by fire, but Lancia persisted and soon was supplying the upper market with technologically innovative automobiles.

In the late 1940s, son Gianni Lancia and designer Vittorio Jano unveiled an all-new range of V6 Aurelia models. Powered by a 56-hp, 1,754-cc overhead-valve engine and mated to a 4-speed gearbox integral with the rear axle, the Aurelia range was expanded in 1951 with the...