Lancia Motor Club

I am in the process of restoring a 1951 Aurelia B50 Pininfarina Cabriolet, registration 922 EER. I have alot of history of the car but I would love to know if anyone knows more, especially old photos. The car was last at a LMC event in 1973, The Clubs International at Rousham Hall near Oxford, I have from Adrian Donovan a rear photo, but has anyone got any more?

Known history as follows:-
Chassis B50*1443 finished at Lancia 18-7-51
Sent to Pininfarina 28-8-51
Registered 15-5-53 to Attilio Edoardo in Beltrami Di Omegna, Italy. Registered NO 29848
Later registered in Milan MI 276425 (or could be 276426?)
Registered to Giovanni Di Filippo Cagiati in Rome 10-12-55, registration number 241036 Roma.
12-12-62 Registered to Janet samuelian Aidala, also in Rome
17-4-63 Purchased by Richard Murphey Goodwin. He was the well known economist who Lectured at Cambridge from  1951 and in 1980 became Professor of Economics at Siena University. He Imported the car into the UK in June 1963, when it was given its UK registration number 922EER.
In late 1972 the car was sold to Brian Fenton from Northants who is still a Club member. He patched up the sills and took it to the aformentioned Clubs International meeting at Oxford. The MOT then ran out and the car was laid-up.
In about 1983 the car was given to Anthony Smallhorn who ran the Aurelia Consortium.
The car was bought by Ron Francis in about 1984 and the restoration started.  I bought the car from Ron in Feb 2008, finished off the mechanical work with the help of Pete Harding, and it is at the moment being painted.
So if you can add to the above I would be very pleased to hear from you.
Ade Rudler

Had a trial fitting of the freshly chromed hood frame today, along with the new (as yet unfinished) ash cross members.

Looking good Ade although I thought that tiller steering went out around 1900!  ;D

Robin.

The steering wheel should be finished soon Robin, that's the next big expense!

are we going to see some more pics???? have you got any of previous work done?? ::)

OK! I was going to wait until it was painted which should be this week. I do have some from before restoration, but don't have a working scanner at the moment (all spare cash goes on the car). Here are some from when I bought it.

and some more

whoops forgot to add them

A picture of the underside.

This was last weekend, just waiting for paint and those are NOT its wheels!!

how long have you had it?? where did you find it, looks really solid, what colour is it going? looking good, look forward to seeing the finished article, will it be at the AGM??

I bought it from Ron Francis just over a year ago. He had had all the welding done, you really need to see the before photos, but there wasn't much there to start with, most of the bottom half is new!
I am painting it in its original colour which is Bleu Sera (Evening blue) metallic. (Didn't like the pale blue)
I hope to have it finished for the Aurelia lunch on 10th May, then the Sliding Pillar in June, so it should be at the AGM.

And there's me just spent 10 minutes trying to find the differences between the two photos :D


Another from Portugal 2004. I also have other photos of this car in Esphino 2001, believe the owner is an ex racing driver.

Brian
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I have seen this car in Portugal, it is earlier than mine, having a few detail differences, the boot line is lower, it has alloy bumpers and different style vents either side of the radiator grill.

Here are a couple of photos taken today of the car finally painted. It's a bit difficult to see the colour as it has been wet sanded prior to polishing, but the front corner of the wing has been polished but in the spray booth with fluorescent light the colour does not show true.

Here are some photos of the B50 painted, polished and out in the sunshine!

Looks great Ade, can't wait to see it finished ;D

Brian
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looks stunning, nice work look forward to seeing it

Like everyone else I have spent the Easter holiday working on my car. I collected it (finally) from the paintshop on Thursday and have spent all weekend (in between cutting the lawn!!) putting things back on so it is actually starting to look more like a complete car. The only major hurdels to getting it back on the road are organising the chap who is doing the exhaust (he is just about to go on holiday for 2 weeks! Great!!) and the coachtrimmer who is going to do the hood. Oh and I still haven't got the steering wheel back, so it's still mole grips!! somehow I don't think it will pass the MOT with them on.

Why not? some early cars had tillers ;D

Looks great.

Brian
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looking really nice ade, hope everyone else pulls there fingers out for you, nothing more frustating than waiting for others, i remember we gave the augusta interior to our local trimmer 6 months before we needed it, he told us 3 months, i questioned him and gave him the opportunity to back out if he didn't have time to do it but he insisted no problem, anyway the week before the turin centenary trip it still wasn't finished but he faithfully promised 2 weeks max  >:( i was not happy as this was while we were in turin, anyway fair play he got it to us, 1.15 am the morning we were leaving i was finishing putting it in!! keep the pictures coming its great to see

Stunning car Ade and terrific restoration. Will it be at the Sliding Pillar rally? Do hope so!

Was the LMC badge you snitched from under my nose on Ebay recently  for this car?

Robin.

My aim is to be at the Aurelia Lunch on the 10th May! not sure if it will have a hood by then though....hope it's not raining. So yes it WILL be on the Sliding Pillar.
Sorry Robin it wasn't me bidding for the LMC badge on ebay, I've already got one .... or two.....maybe three!!

Ummm... name of rudler who won it.
However, an unused one turned up last week which I won for a third of the price of the one I lost so I now have one for each of my cars:)

Robin.

Must have been that other Rudler chap...... there are two of us!  I will ask him tomorrow,

More progress, spent most of Saturday sorting out the hood frame front cross member so it now fits properly and Sunday fitting the sound deadening to the front footwell along with the front footwell side panels. the one nearest the door had to be totally remade and has been covered in blue leather the other is alloy sheet, this has been covered in blue leatherette. Both these panels will be dyed in the same colour as the rest of the interior as can be seen in the photo of the rear seat. This is the original colour although the rear seats have not had their final coats of colour and sealant.

Wheels have now been painted, so will have the tyres fitted later this week, can't wait to get the scruffy wheels off the car!
I have also given the engine bay a steam clean to get rid of eight months of spray booth dust and grime, it looks alot better now, just have to repaint the radiator header tank.
My slot at the trimmers has arrived a week earlier than anticipated so it's off to get the hood made later this week, which means I won't be able to take it to the Aurelia Lunch. but it does mean it looks good for a debut at the  the Sliding Pillar Rally.

I can't wait to see how the contrasting rims look on the car.   Bernie Fisher was DESPERATE to do that on mine but I was never brave enough.

David

For David, here an example of contrasting rims.
What do you think?
Sébastien

I think it looks rather good.   

David

Agreed.

A shame that Ade's car will not be at the Aurelia lunch, as I cannot come to the Sliding Pillar to admire it!

Sébastien

NEW BOOTS!!!  Delivered to the trimmers today for its new hood complete with repainted wheels and new tyres

Very nice!

You are almost there!

2 questions seeing the photo:
will you fit the chrome strip below the door?
and will the air intakes around the radiator grille be fitted with the chrome surrounds?
 
See you in a few days at the Aurelia lunch.

Sébastien

Sebastien, to answer your questions, the polished alloy trims that go around the front air intakes are almost ready to be fitted, but I don't have the trims that fit below the doors so I will have to make them, although I am finding it difficult to find a supplier that has alloy extrusion in a long enough length!! Any ideas anyone??

Anything like the mouldings that fit below the doors on my Fulvia Berlina?
probably not long enough?

Brian
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Try Berkshire Metals Ltd. I have found them to be most helpful.
 (Berkshire Metals Ltd, 1012 Armour Road, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG31 6HS.)
 Good luck, John

A little more progress.......... the dash has been painted and I have got the totally rebuilt steering wheel back (it's had a new metal rim and all new 'plastic' coating.)  The missing dial is in the car as it is connected to the oil pressure gauge as the car can only be run with it in situ.  Note the original Condor radio and the 1973 Clubs international badge.....from the last time the car was on the road.

Ade - that wheel looks wonderful - the plastic wheels of the early cars really give a lot of 50's character! - where did you get it done??

Hi Adrian, I had the wheel done at D.H.Day (Donald Day) they usually do them for Bentleys, it did take rather a long time and wasn't cheap, but then the only bits of the original left are the spokes and center boss. So it should last for another 50 years!

Yes, a lovely period steering wheel. And graced with a wondferful and elegant centre badge that looks like this:

Usually the dials on a B50 (and a B10 saloon) have this type of gold pattern as a background too, but as my car is a late chassis it had its 1750cc engine changed for a 2000cc before it left the factory so it has the first series B20 style instruments, not quite as glam, but at least they are legible!

I have now finished restoring the seats back to their original colour using a kit from The Furniture Clinic, the difference is amazing as the pictures show!

That stuff certainly works...

Now for an anorak moment - how many different sorts of window winder mechanism on Aurelias?   I expected to see a cable like on a B20 - at least per a 3rd series B20.   A Spider abstains from the debate with side screens.

David

My B24 Convertible had a similar arrangement to the B50, cog and semi circular tooth segment with scissor arms, a lot less trouble than wires!

Ade - the seats look really good, that is impressive! - are we going to see it next weekend?!

eerrrrrrrrrrrr No!  Still waiting for the exhaust to be finished, you can't rush these things!

That is soooo disappointing Ade, I was very much looking forward to seeing it.

How about doing what I am? Almost a year of the Dilambda being hors de combat I'm bringing her on a trailer. Just can't bear another Lancia meet and her not being there.

On the other hand, would totally understand if you want its inaugural showing to be when it is finished.

Robin.

Just be patient Robin these things can't be rushed...... no matter how much I would love to rush them, but when you are relying on other people to do their bit you just have to wait!...... and keep waiting.  I think realistically that I will get it finished this Autumn which will give me time to do some shake down miles before using it properly next year... I hope.
As to trailering it, well I do enough of that during the week, and tacho rules etc mean I have to take some time off.

As an aside, Marreyt Classics have a B50 Cabriolet for sale at the moment. It's advertised on Anamera.

Hi Ade,
Any idea where the photo was taken? looks very much like the barge lift on the canal outside Mons in Belgium.

The car looks great ;D

BTW what's the latest on yours?

Brian
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"The car looks great".

Yes, but I do not like the view under the bonnet. In my opinion this is a bad recommendation for this "well respected Lancia specialist".
Lancia did not build cars like this, and why are the radiator shutters missing???? (Especially at this price level!)

Yes Brian the photos of the 'Marreyt' car are taken in Belguim are by the canal boat lift, I have seen these photos before so they are at least 2 years old, and yes Sebastien I certainly think this car could do with some tidying! ditto your comments on the price!
As to my car I hope to be able to update on the exhaust progress by the end of the week, but I have got the dash in the car and the seat belt mounts have been welded/strengthened.

Thanks Ade,
Looking forward to seeing your Cabriolet up and running.


Brian
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Here's the link for anyone else as nosey as me!!

http://www.marreyt-classics.com/stockdetail.cfm?ID=492

David

It has taken 3 long months, but finally the exhaust has been finished. The attached photos were taken this morning, I have since taken it all off again and this afternoon painted it black, as it should be. This is particularily important on the Aurelias with chassis as the exhaust goes along the sill line, because on a B50 there is a strengthening member where the exhaust would go on a B10 or B20 and it is clearly visible from the side of the car. Note the constant radius bends....none of those horrible squashed curves!! well it was worth waiting for to get it done properly.

......and another one. I have also finally fitted the alloy trim that goes around the grill side vents, makes the front look much better.

Looking good Ade, exhaust was certainly worth the wait, heat resistant paint I trust :D

Brian
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Painted pipes ready for fitting.

The car is looking a million dollars.  Are you pleased with the sound?

David

With all the messing about yesterday we didn't actually start the car with the pipes on!! The silencers are straight through so my only reservation is that it will be too loud. If it is we will add a couple of cherry bombs, will keep you posted!

Hi Ade,
Are the rear telescopics original or a later fitment? Just curious. It would be interesting to see a photo of the top mounting for these.
Car is looking great.
Chris

Hi Chris, The dampers are a later fitment, they have a triangular plate for the top mount that uses the lower holes for the friction dampers as part of the location, hope you can see in the attached photo. Ade.

Another B50 Pinin Farina Cabriolet has just been advertised for sale http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-page.php/carno/75804

This morning I finished fitting the exhaust, it all went together rather well! As to the sound, well with straight through silencers it isn't the quietest Aurelia I have heard, but it does have a nice rasp to it!!!!  I will have to see what it sounds like on the road, I might have to fit cherry bombs as my son had his hands over his ears!   Photos to follow.......

Photos of tailpipes.

Hi Ade,
What colour are the wheels and who did them, they look very much like the colour of the wheels on my 2c that need repainting.

Brian
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I can't remember the exact colour, but I think it was a Ford colour ( Alpaca Beige?) from the 50's it is just the right shade a slightly beige cream. The chap who painted the car did them, Andy Rickets, Rickets restorations in Wroughton, not far from me. I can find out the code if you need it.

If you would be so kind.
Thank You.

Brian
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The wheel colour is Ford Alpaca Beige, Ford numbers CT,  MAT, or 2B.  ICI code NT 70.  I would get a sample pot first though as it is darker than shown on the photo, camera flash makes it look creamer.  This is the correct colour for 4th series B20. I have used it as the rims should be body colour (blue) and the centers interior colour (again blue) but I wanted two tone wheels, hence the beige which matches the dials and steering wheel colour.

Interesting to know "the rules" for the two tone wheels - likewise that exhausts should be painted.

What about coloura for the hood frame?  I can see wood, tubes, and what looks like padding on the front and rear rails.

David

Thanks Ade, I'll try a sample pot on one of my spare wheels and see what it looks like.

Brian
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The hood frame is Chrome....... don't ask how much it cost!!!! The wooden rails ( they are painted grey at the moment) will be covered by the hood fabric which is beige on the inside, navy outside. (The original colour combination)

With the risk of bring boring here are some more exhaust pictures

Keep-em-coming!!

OK! Here are some pics from roughly 1985 in an 'as found' condition before the restoration started.

And here are some pics from roughly the late eighties when the shell was stripped for welding to start.

Its only now I noticed the alloy boot handle which looks lovely.

David

Things are moving on..... slowly.  The dash and windscreen surrounds are now fitted, along with the sun visors which are nicely period, dark brown tinted perspex, although I am missing one of the hinge fixings. Today a friend came and we sorted out the front seat mounts that had been welded in the wrong place since the floor had been replaced. Also whilst the welder was available we made up some brackets for the air horns that I have had for ages just waiting for a car to put them on.... well an Italian car MUST have air horns, it just doesn't sound right without them!

It's been great to have a couple of sunny, if cold days over the Christmas break to get the car out of the garage, so now the front seats are back in and I have made up carpets for the front and rear footwells. The rubber mats are not available for the B50 and I didn't want carpet that would shrink if it got wet so I have used coir matting, very easy to cut, does not fray and is nice and thick, no need for any underlay that will soak up water. The sills transmission tunnel and front bulkhead will all be carpeted in marine quality carpet when the hood is done. I have also made up a rubber mat for the boot.
Yesterday as it was very wet I went to collect the Condor radio, this has had all the old valves taken out to be replaced by modern electronics to pick up FM, it also has an external fly lead with a jack plug for a MP3 player!! .........I have just got to wire it all up, fit the underbody aerial, make a couple of speaker boxes to fit under the dash....... not a MOT issue so it will have to wait until later.

Tell me more about this matting...  Sounds like a class above rubber for no more effort.
 
David

That really looks splendid.

It's looking great, but was the carpet green or black when you fitted it?
 Happy New Year, John

Hi John, seasons greetings, the mats were blue when i fitted them, but after only two days of winter sun they do seem to be turning green!!! and this is all over evenly, even under the seats where the sun don't shine!!
David, ditto greetings, coir mats are something you would usually get in a more vintage car... like an Augusta.... but I have seen them used in a B24 Spider before and they are great for the job, as long as the footwell area is resessed. This is where I bought mine from http://www.tradepriced.co.uk/coir_matting.html they are available in 1 or 2m widths and by the cm lengthwise, so very economical. To do both front and back of the B50 was only £50. Or you could try http://www.cocomats.com/coco-mats-story.htm who do a similar thing, but with bound edges suitable for more modern cars, and obviously a lot more expensive!

An email from Sebastien Simon has reminded me that I didn't mention the door panels in the last post.
I have reused the original leather but the door cards had to be replaced, for this I used thin ply. The bottom raised section was missing so again this is ply, but covered in vinyl as I had run out of leather, but as it is dyed the same colour as the leather the difference is hardly noticeable. For the alloy trim strips which were again missing I have used alloy trim beading http://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/en/list+upholstery+and+trimmings~pipe+bead+strip/ this works very well as it has pin nails on the reverse so is easy to fit, just drill a hole, pass though and bend the nail over, this holds the whole of the lower panel on. The only problem with trim beading is that it has groves on the reverse side, so it has to be bent over a bit and filed on the reverse before the front side is rounded off at either end.

When I bought the B50 it had a 2000 badge on the grille. I was not sure if this was original or not, so for now have left it off the car, however I was searching the net the other night and came across a picture of another B50 pf Cabriolet that had the same 2000 badge on its grille. This lead me to think that it was indeed an original fitment.
An email to Wim Oude Weernink came back with the following information; There were nine Aurelia B50 chassis that were converted to B21 2000cc specification before they left the factory, of these four were Pinin Farina Cabriolets.  Wim added that he thought the badge was probably original.

Ade,
Interesting information: I had never seen that 2000 badge before. It does not look the same as those 2000 badges fitted to B21 I have seen.

But do you still have the "original" B21 engine fitted? I thought you would go the B12 route, which gives you a little bit more power and quite a bit more torque, albeit at lower revs. And if it is a B12, what is the gearbox now fitted - specifically what final ratio? If you have a B12 engine, you need a B12 gearbox, with a standard B10 gearbox you can start in 3rd, and your maximal speed is 65 MPH!
Sebastien

Sebastien,
I do have the original B21 engine, but there is a B12 engine in the car at the moment. (The B21 one needs a full rebuild) The gearbox is the original one for the car, so with B21 ratios, I will have to see how this matches to the B12 engine, if it is far too low geared I  have a spare B12 gearbox.
The badge does have a handmade feel to it, but if you were only making four of them......
Ade

With reference to my last few posts, I have just realised that I hadn't mentioned before that my B50 is one of the nine chassis (of which 4 were pf cabriolets) that were upgraded by the factory to B21/B52 2000cc spec before it was sent to the coachbuilder (It is shown on the factory record sheet).

Nice sunny morning today, so a chance to get the car out of the garage, to admire its lines and do a few more jobs, we now have dipping headlamps (a missing earth to the switch, thanks Pete!) and the horns work too (paint covering the earthing point on the wheel), just need to get the hood frame fitting to my (and the trimmers) satisfaction.

Looking lovely Ade, what colour will the hood be?

Brian
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Blue! Yes I know it is the same as the seats and body, but this is how it was originally, and when you see it, it works, especially with the contrast of the cream rings around the dials and the cream contrast on the wheels, and all the polished alloy and chrome.

I have now owned the B50 for 2 years....... and there is still a little more to do before it's on the road. I have recently repainted the black crackle finish on the heater and fitted it. Whilst doing that I did the rocker covers too. The black crackle finish went on really well after I had heated the items up in the oven. (It did make the kitchen smell a bit though!!)
Two steps forward and one backwards..... I checked the torque of the head bolts, one of which was pulling the stud out of the block, so the head is going to have to come off to fix it!  Other than that, and the hood, we are almost ready for the MOT.

Hi Ade,
Can you go into a bit more detail regarding the process of the black crackle finish please, I did my 2c's Cam cover a number of years ago, and while it looked better than it did before, it isn't really satisfactory, and I'd like to achieve the same standard you have. whose paint did you use?

Brian
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Hi Brian, the crackle paint came from Frost, I can't remember if it was their own brand or not. I cleaned the heads with an abrasive wheel first (one of those made from scouring pad type material) then degreased them, again with a Frost product. Then put the oven on to about 100oC, cover a baking tray with a couple of layers of tin foil, put rocker covers on and put in the oven for about 10 mins.
Take them out of the oven and out side to spray. As the rocker covers were nice and hot the paint crackles up straight away, so you can give it a good couple of coats. I then put them back in the oven again for another 10mins, took them out gave them another couple of coats of paint and baked them again! As they were hot the paint drys really quickly, a hour or so later they were on the car!
Hope this helps.  Ade.

...and all done before she was back from the girls night out to the cinema?

Thank you Ade,
 that's great, Ill just tell Diane it's my feet  ;)

Brian
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Luckily I am the cook in the house, so I just said keep out of MY kitchen!!

Another sunny weekend in these parts so I managed to get the car out of the garage to do a bit more hood frame fettling, still more to do though!  The dash is now finished with its period Condor radio, only the steering column surround to fit..........when it's painted.

The radio looks fabulous - as does that metal trim on the steering wheel.  Is the whole thing a horn push or just the "wire" part of it?

The one bit that looks out of place is the key fob - a bit bright white. 

David

Looking forward to seeing this at the AGM. Glad that you managed to get the cat out of the garage :o :o

David, the steering wheel with the chrome trim is unique to the Pinin Farina cars, it is just the small wire bit that sounds the horn, but with air horns it makes a pleasing loud noise! Roger, the cat came out with the car! :-[  Sorry to disappoint you but unlikley to be at the AGM, more likely to be sunning it on the Amalfi coast......holiday booked before the AGM date was announced.

Over the past few months one thing that has puzzled me has been the Aurelia's boot catch, it just didn't look right and didn't hold the boot closed properly. Sebastien Simon in Switzerland provided the answer with a photo from his car. It is a complicated metal arm with brass wheels at either end.  It looked rather familiar...... ah yes the Aprilia Pinin Farina saloon I broke for spares some years ago had one just like it ............. a quick search found the required item with alloy boot lid still attached!  It has now been cleaned up and fitted to the Aurelia. Boot now closes properly.  Thanks Sebastien!

More progress, the car has now gone to the ash framer to sort out the hood frame sticks, so hopefully with a little more fettling the hood frame will fit properly and the hood can finally be made.

The wooden parts of the hood frame have now been sorted and fit properly. Today I have taken the car to Pete Harding who is going to fix the head stud that is pulling out of the block, do the wiring for the new (original) indicator flasher unit, so that the rear red lights flash for indicators and then take it for a MOT...... fingers crossed.

Wonderful Ade, good luck with the MOT.

Brian
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Ade,

Looking at a previous photo you posted, you have now redone from scratch the front wooden cross-beam. Hard work, but certainly worth it in the end. But I do not quite understand the situation regarding the hood: has it already been fitted once, and taken off again, to fettle the wooden pieces? Or is it at the stage where the frame and the window seals are now fitting properly, but all the cloth cutting and sewing still needs to be done?

See you in a 2 weeks in Oxford, hopefully this time with your finished car!

Sebastien, The photo is the current stage, The side windows still need their final adjustment, Pete is doing this at the moment, but none of the fabric has been made yet and won't be before the Aurelia Lunch. Our aim is to get it on the road for the lunch, then finish off the hood afterwards. It is going to be a sunny day for the lunch!!! (I hope!)
Ade.

Pete Harding has been doing the final few jobs to get the car ready for the MOT test, he took it to his local tester today........................... and we now have a MOT!!!  First time on the road in 37 years.

Congratulations!

Now all of us that are coming to the Aurelia lunch (and a few others too) should pray (or do whatever else is required) for good weather!

See you next sunday!

PS: if the planes are still flying then....

Excellent result - congratulations  ;D

The weather forcast for Sunday is looking OK at the moment, so the first outing should be the Aurelia Lunch!
See you there Sebastien and Neil.

Very well done Ade.

Enjoy!

Robin.

50 mile run back from Pete Hardings today with no problems to report. All running well cruised down the A4 at a steady 60mph (That's a real 60 as shown on the Sat nav, not the seeedo which registered 55Mph) so all bodes well for the Aurelia Lunch on Sunday, as long as it's not raining too much.

Happy days eh?   

...and a great photo..."just" the hubcaps and hood now?

Any chance of closeups on the rear view mirror and sun visors?  Are they particular to these cars?

David

Another 100 miles today driving to the Aurelia Lunch.  Running very well, but I will have to add an extra silencer..... it's a bit loud!

David I will take some pics of the sun visors and mirror for you.

It looked super - but it is loud !!

Here is the picture of the sun visors and rear view mirror for you David. They are Pinin Farina items so appear on other pf cars such as Alfas. As you can see in the photo I am missing one of the pivot brackets, just in case anyone has one spare??!!

Here's the photo of the same, from one in Portugal.

Brian
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Work is progressing, a few more trims have been fitted and the hood frame has been finished now that all the screws have been replaced and the wooden frame painted.  Rear seat belt mounts have been welded into place, it is a family car!  The next job is to swap the door windows over, the spray painter fitted them the wrong way around and it took me ages to work out why they weren't fitting just right.

...and how does it compare with the playboymobile its replaced...

David

B24 v B50..... well the B24 is a much more sporty to drive it is obviously quicker, doesn't roll as much in the corners and has the better looks. The B50 is more refined, with the side windows up there is hardly any buffeting around your head, it has more space and of course has the extra seats which are the most important thing to the family man!!!  The B24 is stunning and beautiful to look at, but all that have seen the B50 say it is very elegant.
To sum up, of all the cars I have owned there are not many I would really want to have again........... except the B24.

The hood has finally been finished, I collected the B50 on Wednesday evening, then spent most of Thursday screwing various other bits back on ready for the trip to the Sliding Pillar Rally over the weekend.  
Not much to do now to finish it off properly, the sill trims are the next job, then finish the interior off with carpets and trim the boot.

.

and finally one from Wells Cathedral

Worth being on the forum banner :) - only sorry I wasn't able to join you all

Ade,
Hood looks great, superb fit & Finish. Congratulations.

Brian
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You're a lucky man.

David

Brief comment on B24 (owned) vs. B50 (visited): they are not in the same league at all. The B24 can be a touring car or a sportier car, depending on how you drive it and equip it. The B50.... for years given them no thought at all - thinking them a bit odd. Went for a day drive with one in Switzerland, and was totally converted. They are amazing cars - with much more room than a B24, they truly are a sedan minus the roof. For general touring, and lovely country roads - the experience in a B50 is surreal. Absolutely delightful, and serene. You get all the Aurelia quality and the benefit of the open. 

Not in the same league means they aren't comparable. Totally different experiences, surprisingly.

2 points that I can add to the above:
* driving position: when you are more than 6ft a B24 has a difficult seating position. You always sit askew, to be able to shift into 2nd without having your right leg in the way. In the Pinin Farina cabriolet you have ample room, and the column shift, when set up well is delightful to use.
* that swiss B50 (which I know intimately....) has the advantage of a B12 engine and gearbox. Thus there is ample power for a touring Aurelia, and with the well designed rear suspension you have a secure feeling, even if body roll is noticeable. Long distance trips are easy, the longest we did in one day was more than 1000 km.

GG summed it up well: it is a delightful experience!

Sebastien

Is the rear overhang a problem?   

David

No more than on a B24!

It all depends on what is under the car, and how well it is tucked away. In our B50 the silencer boxes are in front of the rear axle. On B24 you have additional silencers after the De Dion tube.

In the previous picture the B50 was in Sardinia, fully loaded with luggage for one week!

Sébastien

When I had a B20 it was a constant problem - but it did run very much lower than standard at the back.  I made a mess of the mother-in-laws drive with it - twice!!

David

Thank you all for your kind comments.  I am now getting to know the B50 more and agree with what both Geoffrey and Sebastien say, the column shift in particular is a delight to use, I can never understand why B20 owners have their cars converted to floor change!
Back to the original point of this post, I have now received more details of the early owners of B50*1443, it seems it went through several hands in Milano before going to Roma, perhaps these were just dealers.  Details below:

Lancia Aurelia Pinin Farina Cabriolet
              B50*1443

17-03-51 Construction started.
18-07-51 Chassis finished.
28-07-51 Chassis despatched to Pinin Farina.
29-06-52 Original B10 engine swaped for B21 2000cc engine & transaxle by Lancia factory
15-05-53 Registered to Attilio Edoardo in Beltrani di Omegna. Registration NO 29848.
25-06-55 Registered to Amleto Sala in Milano. Registration MI 276425
11-07-55 Transfered to Adriana Maiocchi in Milano.
20-07-55 Transfered to Adele Zorlone in Milano
10-12-55 Registered to Giovanni di Filippo Cagiati in Rome. Registration 241036 Roma.
12-12-62 Registered to Janet Samuelian Aidala.
17-04-63 Registered to Professor Richard Murphey Goodwin (Economist). (b 24-2-13 d 6-8-96)
26-06-63 Imported into U.K. by Richard M Goodwin. Given U.K. registration 922 EER (Cambridge).
1973        Sold to Brian Fenton, Northamptonshire. Taken off road in 1973.
1983        Sold to Anthony Smallhorn, Aurelia Consortium.
1984        Sold to Ron Francis. Restoration started.
15-02-08  Sold to Adrian Rudler, Broad Hinton, Wilts.
20-04-10  Returned to the road for the first time in 37 years!

They certainly took their time building it.

David

From what I understand Pinin Farina took chassis from Lancia waiting for orders to build bodies on the chassis. As mine was a late chassis it stood around at the Pinin Farina factory, in the mean time the 2000cc B52 was introduced, as no-one wanted the 1750cc B50 anymore the ones that were left (nine in total) were sent back to Lancia for the 'new' uprated B52 2000cc mechanics to be installed. Mine is one of four B50 pf Cabriolets that had this conversion. (Hence the 2000 grille badge).
For those that haven't seen it on the main LMC 2010 review page here's a photo of family Rudler on the Sliding Pillar Rally.

No one been sick in it yet  ???

Off topic but Thomas (now 11) was the only one of my three to spend time in the B20 and he travels very well.  He "slept like a baby" in the sense of "like a log" and loved the sense of occasion and all the other stuff everyone else does about a B20.   The other two do NOT travel well - but the car was gone by the time it would have been an issue.  I think William (now 9) might have had a few local runs in the front.

Much light in the back with the hood up?   As a kid (I don't travel well...) having a good view was vital if I wasn't going to be "testing the aerodynamics".

Both have been for a hoon round the paddock with Louise - different sort of occasion - and what struck was how quickly it changed direction one way to another as they tried to hang on to the cage.  I was on the floor where the passenger seat would belong.

David

Much to my suprise Louis (3 1/2) made no complaints whilst traveling down the motorway in the Aurelia for the first time for the Sliding Pillar Rally. This is the child that every time I got the Aurelia out of the garage to do some work on it covered his ears with his hands and said 'too noisey'
On the Saturday when it was a little cloudy first thing we had the hood down (this is when the photo was taken) and he was still happy, or at least made no complaints (was this because we couldn't hear him?) but he did snaffle the blanket that was on the back seat ('MY blanket!') and wrap it around himself, to mum's annoyance, as she wanted it for herself!

the car looks truly delightful Ade,
but guys , just be thankful the kids only sleep or throw up in the cars, mine are just approaching the stage that they want to learn to drive them and ask which one they can have.....I feel a cold sweat breaking out....

.

Now that the B50 is on the road it has been tempting just to drive it, however there are lots of little jobs still to do. I have now made the hood bag former, which really is just a peice of wood that fills the void between the side rails when the hood is folded, so that when the hood bag is in place everything looks nice and neat. According to Wim Oude Weernink this was quite common practice on Pinin Farina bodied cars. Just need to get the hood bag made now!

I have also been finishing the sill trims, this has been a complicated job, luckily Peter Harding has a very good machine shop. At first we were going to use easily available 90 degree alloy extrusion, but the problem was that the moulding was more like 60 degree angle and it has a nice curve on the edge, so what Pete did was to get alloy sheet bent, then weld on the front section that bends around the front wheel arch and then weld on a solid part at the rear that could be shaped around the rear wheel arch flare.  All I had to do was alot of filing, shaping and finally polishing to make it look right.  To fix it on the car I have drilled and tapped studs on at either end and in the middle there are flat sections that we will use body moulding tape to hold it in place. (The bottom pic is a trial fit with it held in place by tape!)

Did the weld show after shaping and polishing?   I expect you're starting to understand the premium (when new) for a coach built car.

David

......can you see the join?

Not in the photos - but next time I have the privilage of seeing the car I'm going to have a good try!!

From Prescot what's the little badge in the middle of the front bumper?

David

I think the badge on the front bumper is the bumper manufacturer, it reads 'Brunsig'

I thought it yet another lovely detail on the car...

The nearside sill trim has now been fitted, compare this with the photo taken in July to see how much better it looks, the linseed has also changed from blue to golden brown!
I have started work on the one for the offside, but there is still at least another 2 hours of polishing to do before it can be fitted.

We have just returned from the Lancia Club France 30th Anniversary rally in Clermont Ferrand, over 1,000 miles with the only problem being a fracture in the fuel pipe from pump to carb, this was soon sorted by borrowing a spare pipe from Roger Palethorpe which then gave me time to fix the leak and seal it with some special 'goo' that Mike Guest had in his tool kit.
I will put some more photos in the 2010 events section.

Did you get the roof down at all?   

How does it compare roof up/down? 

Happy with the exhaust now?

David

Yes David we did have the roof down, but only on the Thursday afternoon on our way south, It rained heavily on Thursday night so it wasn't dry enough to put down on Friday morning, then we had a few showers in the afternoon and it got steadly wetter as the weekend progressed. The drive back on Monday was mostly dry, but the odd shower stopped the roof coming down.
It's nice and cosy with the roof up and even when it's down there is very little buffeting, so overall it is a very relaxing car to drive although the exhaust is still a bit on the loud side (a job for the winter) and with the B12 engine it is fast enough to keep up with modern traffic on main roads. 
Ade.

Here's a pic that Tony Harrison took at the NEC Classic Car Show.

and another by Mick Travis

The B50 is featured in the August 2011 edition of Classic Cars magazine in a group test with a Porsche 356 Cabriolet and Mercedes 190SL.

John Simister at the wheel!

Brian
8227 8)

Well spotted Brian!  It is nice to see your own car being driven by someone else, so you can see what it looks like on the road, the only thing I haven't done yet is be a back seat passenger!

The B50 is featured in the February 2012 edition of Classic & Sports car in a group test with a B24 Spider and B24 Convertible written by Martin Buckley.

Classic & Sports Car wallpaper photo to down load here: http://www.classicandsportscar.com/sites/classicandsportscar.com/files/images/lancia-aurelia-wallpaper.jpg

The B50 is featured in this months (December 2012) Vintage Roadcar magazine (An American publication)
http://vintageracecar.com/pages/home.cgi

Life is full of coincidences; a few months ago I was asked by my next door neighbours son if I could provide the B50 for his wedding car.
The address of the Bride's parents was in Rushden, Northamptonshire, only a few streets away from where one of 922EER's previous owners, Club member Brian Fenton lives.
So today as the bride was getting ready for her big day I met up with Brian for him to see the car for the first time since its restoration. The last time he has seen it was when he sold it 30 years ago.
Brian found a few more pictures he had taken of it in 1973, just about on the road, but in dire need of saving. Needless to say Brian was thrilled to be reacquainted with the car.......... the bride seemed very happy with her transport too!!

Fabulous old photo. Any others?

one more pic

Just fabulous.........a true labour of love and utter devotion.......thanks for those


P

Like the hat too!! Remarkabley it is also Lancia Blue!

The hat is not a coincidence, I bought it especially to match my suit and the car!

Looking closely at enlarged 1973 photos of the car, it looks pretty close to being a goner then. The B50's are obviously much much stronger and rigid than they at first appear. I have travelled in and driven a few over the years and their ability to 'keep up' and handle well has always really impressed me.
Great car Ade. Not sure about the hat though!

Chris, if you look back to page 6 of this thread there are some photos of it taken in the late eighties, it was even worse then!
As to the rigidity, the B50 floorpan/chassis has a couple of strengthening box sections all the way along the floor as per the picture below, which certainly help keep things together, but I still get some scuttle shake over very rough roads.
Driving down the A43 dual carriageway around Brackley the other day I was crusing around 65MPH, so modern traffic was whizzing by, but at each roundabout I would catch the cars up again and accelerate past them coming off the roundabout. It might not quite have the finnese of a B20, but for its size it handles pretty well!!