1952 Lancia Aurelia B53 Giardinetta (more photos 👇)
Italian coachbuilder Viotti coined the term “Giardinetta” in the immediate postwar period, applying a name that would become generic Italian terminology for station wagons.
The firm adapted American woody wagon themes for European luxury chassis, creating a very limited series on Lancia’s advanced Aurelia platform. Approximately 47 Aurelia Giardinettas were built across several chassis types, with only a handful completed on the B53 chassis. Just two B53 examples are known to survive today.
Styled by Giovanni Michelotti, these wood-bodied wagons featured practical four-door bodywork with distinctive rear-hinged coach doors. The design represented an Italian interpretation of American postwar station wagons, though Viotti’s execution remained far more exclusive than mass-produced American counterparts.
The B53 variant utilized Lancia’s pioneering 2.0-liter V6 engine producing about 70 horsepower, paired with a four-speed transaxle mounted at the rear for improved weight distribution.
The longer chassis incorporated revisions suited to passenger and luggage carrying, helping transform utilitarian transportation into fashionable luxury conveyances for wealthy European families.
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