Lancia built 18,201 Aurelias between 1950 and 1958, but only 500 of those were first series cars, and only a handful were B20 GT Coupes. Fangio had one, and for a good reason.
It's hard to say what Lancia is up to nowadays. All I can see is a few rebadged Chryslers and an even fancier Fiat 500 called the Ypsilon. Gone are the glory days of rallying or the time when Lancia was right up there with Maserati and the rest. But let's go back in time for a moment.
The Aurelia GT Coupe cost more than a Bentley in 1955. More than half a century ago, Lancias were that good.
Compared to the saloon, it had a shorter wheelbase and a Felice Mario Boano designed Ghia body built by Pininfarina. It also came with the first production V6 engine developed by Francesco de Virgilio under Vittorio Jano's supervision. Enzo Ferrari himself learned a few things from these guys.
The originally 1.8-liter engine grew into a 2.5-liter alloy unit producing 118 horsepower, which was enough to push the light body well over 100 mph. An independent suspension and radial tires backed up the performance, making it a true gran turismo.
Lord March must be a happy man.