The Gentleman Driver's Diary: something out of a movie, the Aurelia and I

Imagine a summer afternoon overlooking the graceful silhouette of the hills surrounding Brescia, filled with scents and colors of a sun-kissed countryside. This is where the Lancia Aurelia and I came to meet for a getaway in full “Il Sorpasso” style. So many times I dreamt of driving this car towards the horizon just like in the unforgettable scenes of Dino Risi's 1962 masterpiece. This is one of those films that made Italian cinema and style what it is today.

I have long been waiting for the opportunity to drive the Lancia Aurelia B24 S. I love its elegant and refined lines, the accuracy in design that features an engine with an unprecedented performance for its time. A sublime, iconic car: it is not by chance that the Lancia Aurelia is one of the inspirations behind our The Portrait collection.

The Lancia Aurelia B24 S is the result of Italian aesthetic and engineering genius. Brought to life in 1954 by an idea from the young Gianni Lancia, who wanted to create an élite car, a sporty spider with an undeniable class. A demanding challenge that was entrusted to the Pininfarina dream team.

The Lancia champion had its first taste of racing in 1956 right in Brescia on the day of its debut at the Mille Miglia in the number 506. That same year, Lancia began producing the model that has been taking me around this wonderful vintage-flavored and carefree day.

A day which every detail seemed even more significant than usual, such as the driving gloves I wore to drive in true Gentleman fashion, just like the great Vittorio Gassman...

...or the Aurelia's Portrait Square Scarf I chose to enjoy while driving with the top down to add a touch of style that perfectly matched the car and the atmosphere.

During the tour I was taking in every stimulus in such an extraordinarily vivid way. The play of lights and shadows projected on the white paint, the comfortable and well put-together interior, the sound of the 2.4-liter V6 engine with a power output of 110 hp. Such a “gritty” yet elegant purr, like everything else about this car.

It really was like living in a vintage movie... so, to better describe the emotions I felt, I compiled a few pictures and details from this unforgettable day into a short video.

Enjoy!

Photo & video: Daniel Minárik
Car: courtesy of Colpani Motori