Anyone that’s restored or renovated an old car knows the value of having a parts car or two, especially if it’s something obscure or low production. In America, automakers don’t come much more obscure than Autobianchi, but you can get to know it with this pair of 1960 Bianchinas for sale here on eBay in Salt Lake City, Utah with a buy it now of $8,995.00 OBO.
Autobianchi was a joint venture of bicycle and automaker Bianchi, tire and rubber giant Pirelli and Fiat that was created in 1955 to build small cars based mostly on Fiat mechanicals that delivered more panache than basic Fiat models. Where many post-war Italian families were pleased to have scraped enough together to buy a Fiat 500, those more driven by a need to demonstrate their style would pay a bit more for an Autobianchi.
The cars for sale here are the upscale Trasformabile open top models. Autobianchi also later offered a full convertible along with a closed top model and a station wagon version. Two van versions were built by the firm, also. The seller states that one of the cars has an intact floor pan and the photos show one car with pavement where a floor should be. We don’t have a lot of body photos to go on, so the buyer should plan for the worst.
Power comes from a two-cylinder, 500 cc air-cooled engine delivering 17 horsepower to the rear wheels through a four-speed transaxle. Parts for the running gear should be fairly easy to obtain since they are of Fiat origin and there are a number of specialists that stock them. The ad mentions the one complete car with an engine that ran ten years ago and the parts car also comes with an engine as well.
The interiors are well, pretty much non-existent with only a couple of seat frames visible. It appears that there could be enough switchgear and gauges to complete one dashboard. There may be two convertible top frames, but the fabric that covered them likely returned to dust a long time ago. Asking nine grand may be a bit optimistic but for the right price, you could have the basis for a rare Italian that could get you an invitation to some of the high-end events featuring the cars of Italy. Is this a job you want to take on?
Autobianchi Bianchinas – Tongue twister time. Say that 3 times fast.
As some of you know, I owned two of them back in the 1970s. Fun cars, especially when the engine gets some upgrades or in the case of my ’58, got an Abarth 695SS swap!
I see that prices have increased by a factor of fifty (50) of since I bought my first one in ’75…
Watch out for rust in these examples…
@beatnik bedoin: Saw one of these on oldparkedcars.com several
years ago. It was painted a bright yellow and had a 750cc Honda
motorcycle engine in it. The car was for sale and the gentleman
that owned it took great delight doing burnouts with it in a Youtube
video that he included in his listing. I’ve also seen one that had a
Harley-Davidson engine as well. That one was atrocious! Overkill
at its worst. If given a choice, I’d restore the better car and then
use the second car as a pint sized restomod. And while I wouldn’t
let anyone drive them on I-4, but I would take them to Old Town in
Kessemee, Fl. just to show them off. On second thought, I could
take that second car and turn it into an EV just for grins and giggles.
After all, when’s the last time you’ve seen one?
Looks like 2 rust heaps
These are very fun cars. They were an upscale Fiat 500
Not a bad project at all. Mechanically, all just Fiat 500 and there is much more available for the Bianchina than you´d imagine. Seat frames are Fiat 500, you can get the seat covers (search Bianchina on https://webshop.fiat500126.com/ ).
Having had a Neckar Weinsberg professionally restored a few years ago, I know that this is doable. But I didn´t pay $9000 for my car, and I wouldn´t here either.
I had a chance to buy one a couple of years ago. It was in better shape than either of these, with a presentable but not perfect interior, and a faded shabby paint job (but rust free). Running and driving.
And I turned it down at $1000. Perhaps I made a mistake.