Description
THIS CAR
The car for sale here, chassis no. 51266, is 1 of only 16 RHD examples ever imported by AFN Ltd into the UK following their legendary partnership with BMW in 1934.
Of these original 16 cars, only around 8 are thought to survive.
Delivered to its first owner, Mr Matson Roberts, in 1935 with the registration BMX 77, not much is known about 51266’s early life. Although this rather wonderful photo, courtesy of the Frazer Nash Archives, shows BMX 77 parked proudly outside the AFN showroom on Grovesner Street, London: (Please see our website)
What’s more, a hand-written note in the car’s history file alludes to the possibility that BMX 77 was chosen by AFN to form part of their display at the 1935 London Motor Show. And while we don’t have hard evidence for this, we do know that BMX 77 featured in some of AFN’s early marketing material: (Please see our website)
The story of 51266 then somewhat dies down until May 1950, when we have a letter on file from AFN Ltd to C. H. Hill Esq of Berkshire, England: (Please see our website)
We can presume that the car changed hands at least once in the following decade, with records showing a number of Ministry of Transport Test Certificates dating from the early-mid 1960s in the Banbury, Oxfordshire area – the car still showing its original BMX 77 registration.
The car was exported to Italy in 1969/ 70 by its then owner, Carlo Saverio Balsamo, and was re-registered under the Italian authorities with the license MI. L35000 – which it still wears to this day.
And while we don’t know much about the car’s early life in Italy, we do know that it took part in both the 1972 & 1996 Mille Miglia events, having been repainted at some point between the two in the famous black and blue colours of Scuderia Ambrosiana (a club to which Carlo was a proud member): (Please see our website)
51266 would remain in Carlo’s family for over 40 years, from 1970 to 2011, when the it was bought by the current owner – another proud member of that famous Italian racing stable, Scuderia Amrosiana.
THE RESTORATION
Beginning in 2012, the current owner decided to commission a complete and extensive ‘nut and bolt’ restoration of the car.
The chassis and bodywork were entrusted to the well known Brescia based specialist, Carrozzeria Rebecchi.
The car was completely disassembled and taken back to a bare shell, and it was during this process that the car’s original colours – the colours it wears today – were rediscovered: (Please see our website)
Please see the full gallery of images on our website for a complete documentation of the restoration.
The engine and other mechanicals were fully stripped, cleaned, assessed, remachined and reassembled by the well-respected Italian engineer, Italo Cristofoletto: (Please see our website)
Again, please see the image gallery on our website for a full photographic record of the rebuild.
As you will see from the photographs, what’s incredible about 51266 is just how original it is. With the exception of the fuel pump, the coil and the rear lights, the car is almost entirely original.
The engine, the carburettors, the gearbox, the chassis, the body panels, the instruments, the axles etc etc, are all completely matching numbers and original.
Fewer than 10 of these cars exist in the world today, and so we are quite confident in asserting that this car, chassis 51266, is perhaps the finest example out there.
It’s remarkable originality and the incredible craftsmanship that has gone into restoring it is something to behold – a show-winning example to be sure.
