Lot Ended
Description
1923 Itala Tipo 50B Tourer
Extremely rare,
high quality vintage tourer; original Torpedo body by James Flood; recent engine
rebuild; full weather equipment; ex-New Zealand; ready to
enjoy
One of the
most resonant names in motoring history, Itala immediately conjures up images of
granite-jawed aristocrats wrestling monstrously powerful GP cars around the race
tracks of pre-First World War Europe.
Founded in
Turin in 1904 by Mattao Ceirano and Guido Bigio, Itala specialised in large
capacity racing cars, their 14.8-litre model winning the Coppa Florio in 1905
and the Targa Florio in 1906. In 1907 a 7.4-litre 35/45hp model piloted by Count
Scipione Borghese famously won the epic 9,500-mile Peking to Paris race, Italas
also going on to win many trophies at the important Grands Prix of the day, the
quality of these racing machines being amply demonstrated in 2012 when the
ex-George Daniels 1908 GP Itala ‘Floretta’ was sold at auction for
£1.73m.
The
company experimented with a range of novel engines such as variable stroke
sleeve valves and ‘Avalve’ rotary types up to the outbreak of the Great War.
Itala switched production to aeroplane engines during the 1914-1918 period then
resumed production after the Armistice with a range of sporting side-valve
four-cylinder cars of varying capacities, mostly based on pre-war models.
Although Itala continued its involvement in motor racing throughout the 1920s,
including winning the 2-litre class in the 1928 Le Mans 24-Hours with a Tipo 61,
the main business came from selling road cars, their agent in England being
Malcolm Campbell who operated from premises in South
Kensington.
But
financial success eluded the company, and in 1929 Itala merged with truck maker
Officine Metallurgiche di Tortona. The new company, Itala SACA, expected to
receive significant orders for military vehicles to be exported to Poland, but
when this fell through they were left financially vulnerable. Itala limped on
until 1934 when its assets were sold to Fiat and this great Italian marque
ceased to exist thereafter.
The car on
offer here is a Tipo 50 which was designed by engineer Alberto Orasi and was
launched in late 1919, remaining in production until 1926. Rated at 25/35hp, the
Tipo 50 was a robust Tourer powered by a four-cylinder 2,813cc monobloc engine
producing 41hp at 2,500 revs with a hollow crankshaft running on three main
bearings with tubular connecting rods. With four forward speeds and reverse, it
was good for a top speed of 60mph, the foot brake operating on a drum at the
rear of the gearbox, the hand brake operating on the rear wheels. Costing £850
in rolling chassis form, it had a 10ft 6ins wheelbase, 4ft 7ins track and an
overall length of 14ft 6ins.
A Tipo 50
driven by JH Grice competed in the 1921 Alpine Trial, an arduous 1,000 mile
event in which it came 5th overall, winning the owner/driver trophy. Indeed
Italas dominated that event, which was won by AV Turner in a Tipo 51, another
Tipo 51 driven by Jimmy Flood coming 3rd, the main differences between the 50
and the 51 being the latter's more lively cam and valve timing, a larger
carburettor, shorter but heavier chassis and a sturdier rear axle with revised
diff ratio.
Built in
late 1922, chassis number 22097 was destined for the Australian market, arriving
there early in 1923 and being clothed in a spacious five-seater Torpedo body at
the James Flood Coachworks in Melbourne. Nothing is known of the early history
of the car, but it seems that Flood himself may have owned it, notes on file
stating that it was bought from the James Flood Collection in Melbourne in the
1970s by David Holden.
Well
known in Australian vintage car circles, Holden treated the Itala to a thorough
restoration, the car then being featured in ‘Restored
Cars’ magazine in 1981 (copy on file). It was next owned by another
Australian, Ken Geyer, who in turn sold it to Hans Compter of New Zealand in
1987. He kept it until 2006 when it passed into the hands of another New
Zealander from whom our vendor acquired it in 2010.
Since
arriving on these shores, the Itala has been UK-registered (BF 8532) and has
also been treated to a full engine rebuild including new pistons, new little end
bushes and new valves – no easy task as several parts had to be made from
scratch. Although there are no invoices for this work, the vendor is happy to
explain exactly what has been done and is at pains to point out that the car has
only covered very few miles since the rebuild and will need a careful running-in
period before the performance is exploited to the full.
Starting
promptly and running beautifully as we have moved it around on site, we can
confirm that the engine is so sweet you can barely even hear it at tickover –
always the sign of a top quality engine as any vintage Rolls-Royce owner will
tell you! Indeed the whole car is most impressive with excellent bodywork and
doors that still close with a high quality ‘click’. The black leather upholstery
and red carpets are also in fine shape, as is the hood and hood-frame. A full
tonneau cover, side-screens and a spare wheel cover are also included, all in
equally good condition. The underside is just as good and still retains the
original stone-guards and component covers often fitted to cars of this era that
were designed to operate reliably on unmade roads.
All-in-all
a wonderful example of an extremely rare and desirable Vintage tourer that is
in good condition throughout and will cause a huge amount of interest
wherever it goes.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907
or email james.dennison@brightwells.com
* All charges are subject to VAT