I have no intention of buying it, but at the same time, I don't plan to let some unknowing buyer purchase it under the impression that "Both paint and every component is fully original" I stopped reading the description when I saw this misleading claim in bold type. A nice Bianchi roadster in truly original condition from the mid-30's will often sell for 1000 euros upwards in Italy. The problem for North American buyers is shipping due to weight, size and technical complexity. Dismantling the rod brakes and mudguards for shipping is not overly simple.

These bikes have many collectors in Italy. In fact there are likely more collectors of vintage roadsters than vintage race bikes. Another thing that most people ignore is that the most expensive bikes in virtually any full-range bike manufacturer's selection was invariably a roadster and NOT a racing bike! A nice, matching numbers, original Bianchi roadster will go for over 1000 euros if sold by a savvy seller. I have even seen some immaculate ones (with the white rear mudguard) go for over 2000 euros.

Umberto Dei is no longer an independent builder but is now just a marketing brand. You can indeed get a modern interpretation of one of these old-timer roadsters in Italy with Umberto Dei name as well as a few others, unfortunately the quality has no comparison to what you can get on some of these older bikes. I personally would like to find myself a nice Taurus. If I could find the specific one that I want, the ebay seller's asking price would not be out of line. Pay special attention to the brake calipers, the routing of the brakes and the crank attachment method.