Establishing a post-war Lancia tradition, the car was named after a Roman road: the Via Aurelia, leading from Rome to Pisa.

At the rear was an innovative combination transaxle with the gearbox, clutch, differential, and inboard-mounted drum brakes.

The front suspension was a sliding pillar design, with rear semi-trailing arms replaced by a de Dion tube in the Fourth series.

The second series Aurelia coupé pushed power up to 80 hp (60 kW) from the 1991 cc V6 with a higher compression ratio and repositioned valves.

Other changes included better brakes and minor styling tweaks, such as chromed bumpers instead of the aluminium ones used in the earlier car.

This model was immortalized by Dino Risi's 1962 movie Il Sorpasso ("The Easy Life"), starring Vittorio Gassman.

The actual car used for shooting (a single model) was not destroyed during the accident scene sealing the end of the story: an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider was used as replacement.

Power was down to 112 hp (84 kW) for the 1957 sixth series, with increased torque to offset the greater weight of the later car.

Panoramic front windscreen, distinctive 2 part chrome bumpers, removable side screens, soft top and Pinin Farina styling.

Built on a 2,450 mm (8 ft) wheelbase, the B24S Spider was mechanically similar to the 4th Series Aurelia B20, except for different air filters.

Cars from this series have a flatter windscreen with quarter-lights, deeper doors with external handles and wind-up windows.

Produced in small numbers, around 265 cars, by cabriolet-specialist Pinin Farina, the B50 Cabriolet was a four-seat comfortable cruiser.

The show car was built for promotional purposes to generate publicity and was never intended for series production, although Pinin Farina went on to build a further six examples, some open, some closed.

The seven PF200s were slightly different from one another, although all featured the signature circular front air intake reminiscent of the North American F-86 Sabre jet fighter.

[6] In the 1951 Mille Miglia a 2-litre Aurelia, driven by Giovanni Bracco and Umberto Maglioli, finished second, beaten only by a Ferrari 340 America.

Modified Aurelias took the first three places in the 1952 Targa Florio with Felice Bonetto as the winner and another win on Lièges-Rome-Lièges of 1953.

An Aurelia GT co-driven by Louis Chiron and Ciro Basadonna took the top step of the podium, which was the first of Lancia's many overall victories at the legendary rally held on the roads above the principality.

[8] The Lancia Aurelia is featured prominently in The Calculus Affair, one of The Adventures of Tintin, in the story's car chase scene.

Dino Risi's 1962 movie The Easy Life (Il Sorpasso, starring Vittorio Gassmann and Jean-Louis Trintignant, a fine example of the Commedia all'italiana genre) features the Lancia Aurelia, one of the most iconic cars in Italian cinema.

The Lancia Aurelia used was a 1958 B24 Convertible and the driving scenes were very unusually filmed on the road rather than with a projected backdrop.