The Aurelia, one of its more emblematic models, was premiered at the 1950 Turin Motor Show. It was designed by Vittorio Jano, who joined the company under the auspices of Gianni Lancia, the son of the deceased founder of the brand.

The Spider B24 model was launched in 1955, a tasteful Pininfarina-designed toy aimed at the American market. Gianni Lancia himself produced the earliest drafts, yet the final design was carried out by Franco Martinengo, director of the Pininfarina Styling Centre, who truly understood Mr. Lancia’s vision, producing one of the most elegant, well-balanced Spider models in car history. Only 240 units were produced in 1955, 59 of which had the wheel on the right.

The Targa Florio is one of the most prestigious endurance competitions in car racing history. We are going to focus on edition number 47 that took place on May 5, 1963. An Aspromonte team brand-new Lancia Aurelia Spider #88 left the start line at Floriopoli ready for the event – its trademark front and rear fenders had been removed to lighten the weight. The pilots Mario De Tommasi and Carlo De Leo took turns along the twisted Madonie circuit, which required ten laps to complete a total of 447 miles. They achieved a noteworthy performance, finishing in the 28th place overall and fifth in the Gran Turismo category, for 2001-2500 cc cars – a category conceived with Lancia and its efficient V6 engine of almost 2500 cc in mind.

This beautiful Spider cost 30,000 francs in the late fifties, six times the price of a Volkswagen Beetle. It was aimed at a very select and demanding public. The few units still in existence are very much appreciated, and often appear at beauty car shows and classic car races such as the Mille Miglia, where their lucky owners may proudly show them off while enjoying the soft Italian breeze let in by its rounded windshield. We do hope that you enjoy racing this beautiful miniature model just as much as we have enjoyed making it.

Vicente Arroyo, extract from the CJ-54 booklet.