Parts Books
We like our cars, but the Lancista gets really excited about their parts books. There, Lancia told the story of the car in illustrated wonder. All the parts to the car are shown but there is more, lots more. First, the parts book actually shows how the cars go together. All the little bits, and even sometimes you can get a sense of sequence for all the parts. This helps in repair work - to see how things were put together. Second, the parts books for Lancias (up to the Appia) have very nice exploded isometrics. These illustrations were done by U. Ciompi and are lovely.
Parts books indicated how the factory organized their thinking - divided for Motor, Transmission, Brakes, Steering/Suspension/Wheels, Electrical, Body Outside, Body Interior. The books also were divided into sections for each model, starting with the Berlina, then special sedans or chassis, the B20, and finally open cars. The later sections typically have only text noting the changed elements, unless the change was significant enough to warrant a new illustration. Hunting between text changes on a B20 (for example) and the illustration on a Berlina can be a bit difficult.
On each sheet, the details tell when the part was replaced or changed - typically by serial number, and sometimes by engine number. Lancia's recording was meticulous. The parts books give an origin number indicating when the part came into being - typically 800 for B10, and 803 for B20, but there are some surprises - some parts come from Appias, Ardeas or Aprilias, or even trucks.
Sometimes, Lancia would give information on the part - with an assembly number, a separate part number, and even a casting number as well for some of the major pieces. Careful scrutiny can lead to more understandings on how they made what they did - for example, the Aurelia engine block evolved over 7 different castings. Some differences are trivial, some are major. A good Aurelia owner gets lost in this, just like the cars. Where to get one of these wonders? Sometimes they show up on Ebay, but are not cheap. The easiest way is to get the CD from Huib, at CD with Aurelia documentation. I believe it has the early 1951 B10 parts book, and then the 1959 series II parts book.
Parts books indicated how the factory organized their thinking - divided for Motor, Transmission, Brakes, Steering/Suspension/Wheels, Electrical, Body Outside, Body Interior. The books also were divided into sections for each model, starting with the Berlina, then special sedans or chassis, the B20, and finally open cars. The later sections typically have only text noting the changed elements, unless the change was significant enough to warrant a new illustration. Hunting between text changes on a B20 (for example) and the illustration on a Berlina can be a bit difficult.
On each sheet, the details tell when the part was replaced or changed - typically by serial number, and sometimes by engine number. Lancia's recording was meticulous. The parts books give an origin number indicating when the part came into being - typically 800 for B10, and 803 for B20, but there are some surprises - some parts come from Appias, Ardeas or Aprilias, or even trucks.
Sometimes, Lancia would give information on the part - with an assembly number, a separate part number, and even a casting number as well for some of the major pieces. Careful scrutiny can lead to more understandings on how they made what they did - for example, the Aurelia engine block evolved over 7 different castings. Some differences are trivial, some are major. A good Aurelia owner gets lost in this, just like the cars. Where to get one of these wonders? Sometimes they show up on Ebay, but are not cheap. The easiest way is to get the CD from Huib, at CD with Aurelia documentation. I believe it has the early 1951 B10 parts book, and then the 1959 series II parts book.
The many Different Parts Books
First to understand that parts books can be divided in two groups:
1950 - provisional book no illustrations.
1951 - First issue, for B10, B50, B51
1951 - Supplement to first book for B21, B20 s.1
1953 - Reissue 1951 book.
1954 - Common Series I parts book, for B10, B10S, B50-53, B15, B21, B22, B20 s.1, 2, 3. Still using older part numbers.
1956 - First issue with B24, rare.
1959 - Common Series II parts book, for B12, GT 2500 (B20 S.4-6), B24 Spider, Convertible. Often with 1962/63 addenda.
1963 - Reissue of 1959 book.
1964 - Reprinting 1963 book.
- Series I covered the B10, all two liter cars, and (as a last thought) the 2.5 liter s.3.
- Series II covered the B12, and all the 2.5 liter cars, including B20s and B24s.
1950 - provisional book no illustrations.
1951 - First issue, for B10, B50, B51
1951 - Supplement to first book for B21, B20 s.1
1953 - Reissue 1951 book.
1954 - Common Series I parts book, for B10, B10S, B50-53, B15, B21, B22, B20 s.1, 2, 3. Still using older part numbers.
1956 - First issue with B24, rare.
1959 - Common Series II parts book, for B12, GT 2500 (B20 S.4-6), B24 Spider, Convertible. Often with 1962/63 addenda.
1963 - Reissue of 1959 book.
1964 - Reprinting 1963 book.
Covers and first pages are shown for the 1950, 1954 and 1959 versions:
Some of the typical details in a parts book:
