Little Italian Studebaker
03/12/2026
At the 1953 Turin Motor Show, Carrozzeria Balbo presented the answer to a question that nobody had asked: what do you get when you cross a Gutbrod Superior with a 1950 Studebaker Champion? However, the B 400 was not just a new sheet metal shell on someone else's chassis, but the coachbuilder's first (and only) attempt to construct an entire car.
At the rear was a 398 cubic centimeter two-cylinder two-stroke engine that delivered its 15 hp to the rear wheels via a gearbox arranged parallel to the engine instead of coaxially. With its two-tone paintwork and electric soft top, the Balbo B 400 was also unusually sophisticated for its vehicle class. However, it did not get the chance to compete against the Fiat 500. By 1954, Balbo had already gone bankrupt and the B 400 remained a one-off.
