My 1926 Ansaldo 6B

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“I am the lucky owner of a 1925 Ansaldo 6B, in fairly original condition and with maybe only 14.000 km on the clock. I am guessing it may have been the car of the Italian ambassador in Santiago de Chile in the twenties and thirties. I contacted the Italian embassy and asked for possible information in their archives. Due to COVID lockdown, they could not access the archives yet. Would anybody in the PreWarCar community have any information on the earlier life of this car?” Is what Juerg wrote to us.

But the story continued...

“Ansaldo was one of the most important Italian industrial groups. After the First World War, the company had to convert its aero-engine factory in Turin. It was then decided to diversify the activity by manufacturing cars. The Tipo 4, presented in 1919 and designed by engineer Guido Soria, was powered by a 1847cc four-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft. In 1922/23, Ansaldo introduced its first six-cylinder model: the 6A with a displacement of 1990 cc (65 mm x 100 mm). The 6B followed in 1925 with the engine size increased to 2180 cc (68 mm x 100 mm), providing 45 hp at 3500 rpm (see the test report from 1926 here).

I bought the car at an auction in November 2019.

The previous owner fell under her spell while doing his military service in Chile in 1971. It was in a small village near Santiago that he discovered her. The origins of her presence in South America are uncertain, but it is assumed that she was sent there to provide travel for an Italian ambassador. The car was in its original condition and had never been restored. It may have been driven only 14,000 km. It was very well preserved because the humidity level in Chile is very low. At the end of his military service, his priority was to repatriate the car to France in order to start a restoration.

More than 40 years later, 6B is now in the same condition as it was when it was discovered in 1971, except for a stalled restoration. A red anti-rust coat was applied in Chile before being transported by boat, in order to preserve its bodywork. The original colour was most likely dark blue.

Also attached is a picture of an Ansaldo 6B in excellent condition, I believe mine has a very similar configuration, even though the bodywork is not identical. I am interested to learn who owns this car in order to get an opportunity to exchange information.”

Who can help Juerg and provide him with more information about his 1925 Ansaldo 6B with chassis no. 6339 and French registration no. 5300 FH 69?

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