A Look Inside The Ferrari That Began As A Lancia

The Lancia D50 was not only a visual feast, but as aptly demonstrated by these gorgeous hand-drawn cutaways, also one of engineering and construction. Designed by Vittorio Jano in 1954, the D50 was among the first ever racecars to utilize the engine as a stressed member of the chassis, among many other groundbreaking innovations. After the death of their top driver, the great Alberto Ascari, and ensuing financial difficulties, Lancia was forced to sell off their scuderia to Maranello, who further developed the car for racing. Rebadged the Ferrari D50, it took Fangio to victory in the 1956 World Championship of Drivers.

We’ve had the once-in-a-lifetime privilege of seeing one of the six original cars built in the flesh at Cars & Coffee, and it’s simply among the prettiest things we’ve ever encountered, automobile or otherwise—the sort of car you can spend hours peering through vents, driveshaft openings and bodywork seams just soaking in the otherworldly craftsmanship and engineering, and something only hinted at with these nonetheless remarkable cutaways that we’ve rounded up. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Cutaway Image Sources: oldengineering.tumblr.com, phpbbplanet.com, cutaways.tumblr.com