The history of Nimbus
Nimbus 26 Epoca (DC) - Success that lasts
The Nimbus 26 DC or “Epoca” was first launched in 1988. The model survived against tough competition and was constantly refined and developed during it´s lifetime. The Epoca is, by many, considered to be one of the most elegant crafts in the historic Nimbus fleet. ANYONE WHO BOUGHT a Nimbus 26 Epoca new in 1988 made a good buy. Its price that year with a 275hp Volvo Penta AQ 270 V8 petrol engine was SKr 352,800, but today late eighties examples fetch for between SKr 450,000-500,000 – an increase of 25-40 percent. The relation between new and used prices is pretty much the same whichever model year of the Nimbus 26 DC we are taking about. Current used prices exceed original list prices in all but the most recent boats.
 
Usually the trend is the opposite: day cruisers fitted with V8 petrol engines can be expected to go down in value. So how does this Nimbus manage to retain such value?
Two explanations suggest themselves. The first is that the 26 DC has beautiful lines. The Nimbus sense of style was established in 1988 by design engineer Rolf Eliasson and the Nimbus development department. They created the 40-knot DC with elegant and classic styling, which continues to appeal to boating people with good taste.
“Anyone who bought a Nimbus 26 Epoca new in 1988 made a good buy”
The other explanation is that Nimbus has invested in developing the 26 DC. Instead of continually introducing new models each year of the same size and concept, continuous refinement and continued production have helped maintain extremely good used values for earlier boats, so that a used 26 DC continues to rise in price. In just the past two years this has increased by some SKr 30,000 (about € 3,300) – for the same boat.
The Nimbus 26 DC was introduced in 1988, when cheap boats from the USA were flooding into Europe. Although the Nimbus cost more, sales were strong, and almost 400 boats were sold in 1995. The model was then put on hold for a few years, but after some major refinements, re-appeared on the market in 1999. Demand for the new model was immediate and caused used prices to rise.
The charm of the Epoca lies in the boat’s being a combination of day cruiser and weekender, thus broadening its appeal. It has many desirable features. High freeboard and a wide beam make for a good sociable cockpit, and there is also a galley, a roomy helm, an excellent U-sofa aft and a two-berth cabin with standing headroom.
The interior is snug with thick, soft cockpit cushions, good seating depth and adequate volume. The
galley in the cockpit and the bench seat at the helm in the earlier models are great favourites with sociable skippers, as is the position of the cabin hatch, providing room for a head to starboard down
in the cabin.
 The hull is moderately V-shaped for easy planing, good fuel economy and an acceptable ride in heavy seas. A deeper-V bottom would result in less economical running. The boat is steady in turns, stable on the straights and feels safe to drive, as the helm position is both luxurious and functional, its varnished wheel, a feature since 1988, providing excellent grip. Top speed was 40.2 knots with a Volvo Penta AQ 270 when the 26 DC first appeared, but since then many boats have been sold with Volvo turbo-diesels. In 2005, the last production year, the boat was fitted with either Volvo Penta D4-260 826 hp) or a V8 5,7GXi (320 hp)
Sandwich hull construction was a new concept in 1988 and was controversial at the time, but at Nimbus we already knew how to achieve good adhesion between spacer materials and the inner shell.
Of course, the finish in your boat might have grown dull over the years, but materials are available for both the interior and exterior, so that for those prepared to polish and varnish, an earlier Nimbus model need not grow old. The 1988 colour scheme included light-blue cushions in imitation leather, but worn cushions can now be replaced by the Nimbus accessories department, allowing you, at a stroke, to transform your old 26 DC into a virtually new boat. Price conscious people could hardly hope to find a better way to safeguard their boating investment, and cruise in style in the bays and fjords of summer, than in a Nimbus 26 DC - The Epoca. |
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Historic overview
of the 26 Epoca
32 DC/Ballista
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