Cast an eye over the elegant dashboard, pleasingly bereft of the haphazard switchgear that can plague many cars of the era. Insert the key into the reassuringly solid-feeling ignition switch, turn and press. Even the simple action of pressing for ignition rather than turning gives a sense of occasion. Once running the 2 ½ litre V6 engine, the World’s first, settles down to a characteristic throbbing tickover. The long, smooth travel of the accelerator pedal is perfectly in tune with the cars relaxed, long-legged character. Likewise the light and easily regulated clutch which mates in the Spider to a floor-mounted gear change, mechanical in feel but surprisingly direct given the length of the linkage to the characteristic transaxle arrangement at the rear.

Once under way it doesn’t take long to appreciate the benefits that the transaxle layout brings. Combined with the DeDion rear end it gives the car superb roadholding, sweeping from one corner to the next without any drama and in tighter turns traction is excellent whilst the steering remains accurate and communicative throughout. Performance wise, in the lower reaches of the rev counter the B-24 is calm and sedate but it is possible to tap into the car’s more sporting side by pushing the needle into the upper half of its range. The creamy-smooth power delivery just keeps building as the exhaust note takes on a harder edge. This is where the Aurelia comes into its own – being as it was, the first example of a model described specifically as a ‘Gran Tourismo’. The exemplary chassis engineering balanced by just the right amount of power equals the ideal car for covering long distances in comfort and in ultimate style.