Just a few weeks after its market launch, it was also a resounding success, especially in the European racing and rally scene. The coupe was the preferred automobile of wealthy industrialists, Italian aristocrats and racing drivers, including Fangio, Hawthorn and Behra. However, the first successes were due to the privateer and gentleman racing driver Giovanni Bracco, who at the time scored one success after another with his Lancia Aurelia B20 GT. He finished second overall in the Mille Miglia, took first place in the 6 Hours of Pescara and the Caracalla night race, and finished first in his class at Le Mans.
But it wasn’t just the hearts of racing enthusiasts that beat faster. The B20 GT was based on the innovations in bodywork that began at Lancia in the 1920s with the Lambda, and the design concept created in the Carozzeria Ghia was given its final touches by Pininfarina.
Even decades later, when Thornley Kelham was commissioned to develop the first Outlaw in this series, a look into the series’ eventful past played an important role. One of the key moments was the discovery of an article in the magazine “Auto Italiana”. The text and a tiny photo confirmed that Lancia and Bracco had lowered the roof of the 1010 chassis in search of aerodynamic improvements, especially since the 2-litre engine still offered little room for performance enhancement at the time. This was courageously taken up in the Cotswold and the windscreen was also shortened.
In other details, the TK team deliberately deviates from the Bracco original – such as the widened fenders or the fuel filler cap with quick-release fastener that protrudes outwards on the left below the rear window. The entire work process, from an original Aurelia B20 GT to the finished Outlaw, takes at least 5,000 hours, depending on special requests. Once the bodywork is finished, it’s time to get to work on the high-gloss paintwork, the panelling and all the details that make the car so visually impressive. More than 800 hours are spent on the preparation of the panels and painting alone, including seam sealing and successive rounds of priming.
While the production Aurelia was launched in 1951 with 75 hp and the previous Outlaw models have 220 hp in the data sheet, the heart of the remaining models of this limited series is not a normal Flamina engine, but a 3.2-liter V6. This brings it to more than 300 hp and a torque of about 250 ft/lbs for the last three of the nine Outlaw models. This powerplant is mated to a modern 5-speed gearbox designed specifically for this purpose. At the same time, a so-called “Fast Road” specification is used for the chassis, brakes and steering, which includes disc brakes, a limited-slip differential and rack-and-pinion steering, among other things.
What is available in terms of technical upgrades on top, comes down again in terms of weight. Thornley Kelham has reduced the weight of the Aurelia by around 75 kilograms. The bonnets and doors were made of aluminium from the factory, but the British specialist also built the entire body from light alloy and so the kerb weight was only 1,100 kilograms.
To ensure individuality for each client, Thornley Kelham will only build nine Lancia Aurelia B20GT Outlaws, with each customer being able to choose from three final configurations. In addition to various technical aspects, this applies to the colour design of the body, the large number of exterior details and, of course, to the interior. Whether it’s an individual dashboard, the obligatory seat selection, a leather-covered roll bar, elegant storage space in the rear or the smart implementation of an audio system – the sky is the limit. The interior of the European Lancia B20GT Outlaw combines the best of Lancia’s original, clean design and state-of-the-art features that give a modern interpretation to the Grant Turismo claim. This is how “back to the future” works the way we like it.
