Beta No.55 vs Beta-auto No.55

Every ORIGINAL Toolkit I have seen for a 1960s Ferrari had "Auto No. 55" wrenches. Over the years, I have used a lot of Beta No. 55 wrenches to fill out missing kits since we could still find them in Italy. I wonder how many owners of those kits today think the wrenches I put in them are original??

 

Ryan: Auto No. 55 wrenches, to my knowledge, have not been available new since the early 1970s. We were able to purchase No. 55 wrenches certainly as late as the 1980s, and they may still be available. The correct Auto No.55 wrenches are not easy to find anymore.

 

Kits is the 1965 ish range tended to switch over to Beta 55

I too have had many original kits

 

Need to distinguish between Auto-Beta No.55, Beta No. 55 and Beta 55. I had an original kit from a 250 GTE that had Beta No. 55 spanners.

 

Correction

Beta No. 55

 

Ryan:

Please send me your email address to work on this sale.

 

Ryan:

Please send me an email to [email protected]

 

so, beta auto 55 is early 60's?
beta no. 55 is mid 60's?
is this correct?

 

I have one original Beta 12 / 14 wrench from my 1966 330GT.

On one side is stamped

14 CHROM VANADIUM 12

on the other

14 BETA N-0 55 12

 

Beta Auto 55 wrenches certainly go up into the 275 cars. I have seen lots of them in original kits. My 330 GT 2+2 also had them. Not to say that the other style could not be found in the same period.

 

The original wrench shown on Kerry's site is my wrench that I describe above.
And it sits on my tool rool

 

i have beta 55 wrenches to trade, as i have duplicates.

 

Here are some photos of the three types.
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actually, there are 5-6 variations.

 

Offered from one of my past posts:

"Beta Auto No 55 is an earlier version, used I think approximately from 1959 to the mid 1960's in Ferrari tool kits (maybe as early as late 1958?). The next version is Beta No 55, used for example in the era of the 275 GTB. Both of these have are the earlier style with larger head design than the following versions manufactured by Beta. The next version, now later production Beta (and later than used in period by Ferrari) is Beta 55; the "No" is no longer in the script, the head design is now smaller and more streamlined, but the handle detail is essentially the same except for the designation. The Beta wrench with the small wrench head symbol next to the Beta 55 text is the current production Beta wrench, available today from Beta or their dealers. Again, the handle design is similar to the past, the head is a continuation of the smaller streamlined style."

In the photo, post #17, the two wrenches with the smaller more streamlined head design and missing the "No" before the 55 in the handle text were not used by Ferrari in period, mid-60's tool kits; they are later Beta production. Suitable facsimile style to period, absent an original, but not the same authentic detail as the 60's Beta wrenches with sharper edges and fuller dimension of the wrench head.

 

Clarification to my previous post, the middle wrench in the photo still had the "No" in the text, but the head is later style than used I think in Ferrari kits.

 

One other way to tell if it's a ferrari kit wrench or not seems to be the numbering. The F Kit ones appear to have had consecutive numbering like the 14 15 one shown. The 11 /13 wasn't a specified wrench despite being period as a beta No 55.

 

not necessarily, a proper kit will have 20/22 or 21/23.

 

i also have 190mm long pliers to trade for misc tool kit items. will even consider repro items.

 

now have a 16/17 beta auto no.55 to trade.......

 

I cant ever remember seeing BETA 55 wrenches........ The other two are relatively common......so in my opinion it is the simple BETA 55 that are the rarest........