Lancia Aurelia model numbers

[chriswgawne]

If this is a stupid question please someone put me out of my misery.....but what is the logic behind the Aurelia models numbers which with saloons started with B10 then B21 then B22 (all irs) then B12 (de dion) ?
And in the middle of that we had B20 which also started with irs (Srs 1,2 3) and then went to de dion with Series 4,5 &6 but stayed with the B20 title all the way through.
Then there was the B24 Spider ( essentially based upon 4th Srs B20) followed  by the B24 Convertible (which was essentially based initiall;y upon 5th Srs B20 then 6th Srs B20).
And after all that we had various lower volume Aurelias including saloons, 4seater cabriolets, special bodied vehicles which seem to mainly be B5? starting with B50.

So each iteration of saloon had a different model number whilst each iteration of B20 was still called B20 with a suffix. And so on.

Is there an obvious explanation or is it just another one of Lancia's foibles?
Chris

[GG]

The answer is less than clear... so confusion may still reign. It likely goes this way:

B10 - initial berlina (like the A10 and C10)
B20 - coupe
B21 - Berlina with two liter motor like the B20
B22 - a further development with the 2L motor
B12 - goes back to berlina numbering, as its 2.3L motor is different than the 2 or 2.5L.(!)

Now you might ask why no B11, or B23.... with no answers.

Then, to keep you up at night, are the B50-B56... many of which simply go by the year (B53 in 1953...) but not absolutely.

Clear?

[frankxhv773t]

Not forgetting the B15 limousine or Ministeriale.

[chriswgawne]

Not such a stupid question then Geoff? Thank goodness!
Chris

[Dikappa]

Ron Francis has this fabulous Aurelia 'three' poster in his living room, with all aurelia details in one drawing.
Always find it fascinating....

[GG]

Its always been a bit confusing.... As to the Ron Francis chart - is it anything like what is on the bottom of the page here:

http://www.lanciaaurelia.info/evolution.html

or you could be like Fessia and try and rationalize the old naming with a new number system. From 1964, below.

[Dikappa]

thats the one Geoff!

[chriswgawne]

That's fabulous...and maybe I can see the logic now. Thank you.
Chris

[ColinMarr]

The poster with all Aurelia details in one drawing that DiKappa refers to, and which Geoff identifies as the Bill Stebbins sketch from 1982, is a remarkable thing. It is the result of much research and ingenuity in getting so much information in a single A3 drawing. Copies were made available through the Italian Registro Aurelia in the 1980s and that is how I obtained mine.

I am prepared to offer my original copy for sale - offers of £5.00 or more plus postage, by Sunday next, 6 October.

Thanks, Colin 

[GG]

There is also a PDF download, per the link above.

[chriswgawne]

I have had the Bill Stebbins diagram for > 25 years and it is fascinating in its detail......but it does not explain the rationale behind the various models numbers and their sequencing.
And neither does any other Lancia document I have seen.
Chris

[GG]

I found this Lancia memo, but it is confusing.

Its outlining some aspect of how numbers work with letters. Seems incomplete to me.... but perhaps someone can figure out what this is saying.

This doesn't answer the questions Chris is asking - why no B11, why B15, and why are the B21 and B22 grouped with B20 and not B10?

It seems they were trying to figure out a system, and got caught halfway. There may be a reason to avoid B11 (possible confusion with BII?), and  B21 and B22 seemed to have the "hot motors" and so got lumped with the B20... 

Its certainly not clear, but then again, we only have a small part of the story. The good news is that Lancia gave us a way to separate the true afficionado from the casual: only the committed can remember the model numbers!