B50 for sale

[B20B24]

Another B50 ragtop  for sale:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lancia-/251002226653?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3a70e607dd

A gold project car sold in 2 days last week with Gullwing Cars in NYC - asking $42500

[Sliding Pillar]

Auto Classic in Torino are asking 55,000euro for the green B50 Cabriolet. It is missing its bumpers, but other than that is very original, if in somewhat poor condition!

The gold B50 that was for sale in New York is a one-off show car by Balbo of Torino. I enquired about it, the person selling it did not really know what he was selling. It came with five engines all in bits! Unfortunately it didn't have any documents and by the time I had researched all of its history it had been sold........... doh!  Expect to see it for sale by a European dealer soon for twice the price!

Photos below, green B50 for sale at Auto Classic and Gold B50 Balbo sold in New York including an original picture from when it was new.

[B20B24]

Rare indeed the gold example - but the face is not as good as the PF version in my opinion. You're right though there was a profit in it and it will probably be flipped. Oh well, next time...

[GG]

So if these are worht $40-50k, why do the restored ones for ~$150k languish? Or is there more to the story than that?

[Sliding Pillar]

I would say that the B50 is such an unknown car that there are few people actually looking for one, this is probably why they stay on the market for so long. Of course they are also rather underpowered, unless you fit the B12 engine, then they become the car they should have been all along.

The gold Balbo car is a little different however as it is a one off design, so would be welcome at most of the world's most prestigious concours events, hence the premium on the price. ( The Balbo car in my opinion was underpriced and the green pf cabriolet is overpriced)

To quote from the recent Aurelia soft-top group test in Classic & Sports Car "Delectable B24 Spider and Convertible look similar yet they share no panels. Buckley reckons that the voluptuous B50 is almost as good to drive, though"

I think you are right Clive the Balbo car doesn't look as good as a regular pf Cabriolet, trouble is though the pf car is just far to common...... they made 265 of them for heavens sake!!

[B20B24]

You're right the prices are in inverse proportion on those two Ade. Unique it maybe, but I don't like that brassy 40s US inspired Balbo front (although the back is much better). No bites on your 'mass produced' version, then? I don't see why it should be much different, market wise, to a  6c2500 Alfa cabrio 

[GG]

I would say that the B50 is such an unknown car that there are few people actually looking for one, this is probably why they stay on the market for so long. Of course they are also rather underpowered, unless of course you fit the B12 engine, then they become the car they should have been all along.

The gold Balbo car is a little different however as it is a one off design, so would be welcome at most of the world's most prestigious concours events, hence the premium on the price. ( The Balbo car in my opinion was underpriced and the green pf cabriolet is overpriced)

To quote from the recent Aurelia soft-top group test in Classic & Sports Car "Delectable B24 Spider and Convertible look similar yet the share no panels. Buckley reckons that the voluptuous B50 is almost as good to drive, though"

I think you are right Clive the Balbo car doesn't look as good as a regular pf Cabriolet, trouble is though the pf car is just far to common...... they made 265 of them for heavens sake!!

Must agree. For years never gave B50's another thought, but a long day ride in one in Switzerland changed the impression: B12 like solidity, B24 open air. Rather magical and seductive. 

[JohnMillham]

I also agree. Years ago, when visiting Kord Beddig, I had a ride in Sebastien's in Switzerland and it was brilliant. Andrew Maclagan was also most impressed, so it must have been good!
 Regards, John

[Sliding Pillar]

I don't see why it should be much different, market wise, to a  6c2500 Alfa cabrio 

That would be nice!!

[Sebastien]

Another B50 is yet again for sale, at Gullwing Motor Cars in NYC:
http://www.gullwingmotorcars.com/detail-1950-lancia_aurelia-b50_pf-coupe-used-9184292.html
This is a standard B50 Pinin Farina Cabriolet, with later B20 hubcaps, requested price: US$ 97.500
Dark blue color is nice.
Price seems almost reasonable today, compared to the amounts quoted for other B50s in Europe.
Leaves some change for a B12 engine and gearbox upgrade...to have a really good 5-seater touring car.
However, who knows what was done, or not done, during restoration, many years ago?

[Parisien]

Looks very smart. So £62K versus £90K......below -

http://www.anamera.com/en/detail/car/118324/index.html?no_cache=1&ret=63

Having said that if not correct or does need any revision then thet 30K can be quickly swallowed up.

Then again.....is the 90K car correct/very good too?!


P

[Sebastien]

P, that dutch B50 you mention in the last post has also been on sale for 4-5 years, if not more!

Why? I have no idea, but I do not like the color (that makes the car big - which it is!), I do not like the wire wheels (which could be resold easily - more difficult would be to find the correct steel wheels), the front treatment is wrong (look at the air intakes between lights and radiator), the Nardi kit on a small engine must be a pig to set-up (and does not bring the required oomph).

Also, because it has been on the market so long, one starts thinking that the car has maybe some other faults! Or maybe, just no one is interested in a 1750 cc, 56 HP 5 seater, at that price level.

However I know similar B50, with the same small engine, that run very well indeed. You just should not expect to take any motorway climb with 3 passengers at 75 mph!

[Sebastien]

Further B50 appear for sale, on autobelle.it
This one is interesting, for 70'000 Euros:
http://www.autobelle.it/annunci/dettid.php?gb_id=160123
A giant B20, 2 doors, for 5 persons, with a B50 cabriolet front.
Looks very nice, would raise some eyebrows at an Aurelia lunch!

The 4 door Pinin Farina B51 is also still available (but at 110'000 Euros not in the same league)

[Sliding Pillar]

As predicted the gold Balbo B50 has resurfaced, it is on the Joop Stolze web site http://www.stolzeclassiccars.nl/default.asp (Aurelia B50 cabrio heading in the Lancia section)
I enquired about the car, but it is already sold.
Interestingly he also has the engines that came with the car for sale (Look under AA parts heading in the Lancia section). There are three, YES THREE! Aurelia B24 engines and one B20 unit.

[williamcorke]

Interestingly he also has the engines that came with the car for sale (Look under AA parts heading in the Lancia section). There are three, YES THREE! Aurelia B24 engines and one B20 unit.

I enquired today about the B20 engine as I'm looking for one for my early S4 B20 project.  The B20 engine Stolze had was S3 but I am throwing the net wide at the moment to see what's available.

All 4 engines are sold.  I wonder which Aurelia magpie snaffled them (have my suspicions)?

Does anyone here know of a B20 engine (any condition is fine) with a serial number close to 3360 (the best estimate I have been able to come up with for what would have been fitted at the factory). 

I believe that the 'correct' (i.e. originally fitted) engine number for my car # 2959 is recorded and that the Registro Aurelia have this data.  The Registro's policy is to confirm whether the engine you have is correct, rather than to hand out engine numbers; even to certified owners of cars.  The logic here is, as I understand it, that forgery (restamping of engines to create matching-number cars) can thus be avoided.  Understandable I suppose, but frustrating for me, as if I knew the correct engine number there is a chance - albeit a small one - that I could track the engine down.  The reuniting of chassis and engine after years apart is not uncommon in the early Ferrari world, but how to accomplish it without build data is definitely a challenge!