We’re not Lancia experts to the point of being able to state definitively whether this is a B50, B51, or B52, so we’ve made an assumption based on the year provided by the seller. The seller—well known to many of you—Joop Stolze, is currently liquidating his entire collection (though we’re quite sure he’ll be keeping a few cars for himself, likely the best ones). It’s a very large collection…

This Lancia Aurelia is said to be a one-off built by Bertone on a B52 chassis, and exhibited at the 1951 Turin Motor Show. But the really remarkable thing about this special car (chassis B52. 1074, engine B21.4542) is that it is said to be completely original and to have traveled – brace yourselves – only 2,756 kms (1,712 miles) since new (at the time of find, now has 1,000 more), and never even…

Italian woody: 1951 Lancia Aurelia B51 Giardinetta by Viotti

Even in Europe, in the late 1940s, the long wave of cars built with metal and wood arrived, a style dictated mostly by Chrysler and Ford since the early 40’s.

Italy in those years had a strong commercial exchange with the United States (its main customer for many goods) and the American continent in general, obviously it did not take long to incorporate the new styles, although in Italy in the…