When Tazio Nuvolari died in 1953, Renzo Castagneto, Aymo Maggi and Giovanni Canestrini immediately decided to honour the memory of the celebrated driver. The three men had co-founded the Mille Miglia together with Franco Mazzotti and owed a debt of gratitude to the Mantua-born ace for making the race famous worldwide with his exploits.
The trio resolved to commemorate the champion by re-routing "the most beautiful race in the world" to pass through his home city of Mantua. In addition, the Nuvolari Grand Prix was established to determine the fastest driver, competing along the straight roads of the Padan Plain from Cremona to Brescia via Mantua.
FCA Heritage is returning to this year’s Nuvolari Grand Prix with a stylish competitor, the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT.
Designed by Francesco Virgilio, the car was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1951, heralding a format never previously seen up to that point: the 2+2 grand tourer. It was a resounding commercial triumph on the automobile market for seven years until 1958, spawning six production series.
The Aurelia B20 stood out as much for its extraordinary sporting prowess as it did for its sales figures, competing on both road and track at international level. The Mille Miglia was the stage on which the car generated the most excitement. The Lancia car last took part in the 2015 edition of the race, driven by Cesare Fiorio, the former sporting director of Lancia and Ferrari.
Another former sporting director of the two brands, Daniele Audetto, will be part of the Aurelia B20’s crew in the 2017 Nuvolari Grand Prix; he will be the co-driver alongside Roberto Giolito, head of the FCA Heritage department, who will be in the driver’s seat for this event.
An exceptional team for an exceptional car, which has obtained Certification of Authenticity from the Officine Classiche Lancia workshops.
The Lancia Aurelia B20 is returning to the road in the Nuvolari Grand Prix, ready to thrill fans and honour the memory of the man they called “Il Mantovano Volante” (The Flying Mantuan). A thousand kilometres amidst beautiful Italian countryside, where another Lancia, the D24, distinguished itself with victory in the inaugural edition of the GP in 1954.
More information at
www.gpnuvolari.it