Lancia Aurelia B52 Cabriolet Farina

The Lancia Aurelia B52 Cabriolet, chassis B52-1006, is a coachbuilt automobile produced in 1952 by Stabilimenti Farina on the B52 rolling chassis supplied by Lancia. The B52 variant was derived from the Aurelia platform and made available to external carrozzerie between 1952 and 1953. Ninety-eight chassis were manufactured, intended for custom-bodied vehicles rather than standard factory production. Chassis B52-1006 was configured as a two-door, four-seat cabriolet. The bodywork was executed by Stabilimenti Farina prior to the company’s closure in 1953. The vehicle retained proportions and construction methods typical of the period, with a steel body mounted over a steel chassis. Design elements followed the restrained stylistic conventions of early 1950s Italian automotive production. The mechanical specification followed standard B52 configuration. The vehicle was powered by a 1,991 cubic centimetre Lancia V6 engine, equipped with a single carburetor and delivering an estimated output of approximately 70 horsepower. Power was transmitted via a four-speed manual gearbox to the rear axle. Suspension components included independent front suspension and a rear layout derived from the Aurelia series. Braking was provided by drum brakes on all four wheels. Final weight and performance varied depending on the bodywork, but did not significantly depart from other vehicles based on the B52 platform. Chassis B52-1006 is recorded in the Lancia Aurelia Chassis Register. It is considered a one-off example with no known duplicates. Its ownership history is partially documented in marque-specific sources, though not fully detailed in public registries. The car has been retained in private hands and is periodically referenced in studies of Italian coachbuilt vehicles of the early post-war period. This vehicle is an example of the collaboration between Lancia and Italian coachbuilders during the early 1950s. It illustrates the application of a standardized mechanical base to custom bodywork and reflects the manufacturing practices of the time prior to the widespread adoption of mass-produced unibody designs.