If I was going to buy a new lever right now, and money was not an issue, it would most likely be a Bosco Posilipo. They are handmade in Napoli, Italy by a family who has been making the machines by hand for over 50 years. You would be very hard pressed to find a used one in the US. In my 5 years of craigslist searches I have only seen 1 Bosco and it was actually one of their discontinued semi-auto machines. The most notable shop that uses one would be Cafe Vita in Seattle. They also happen to be the US distributor for them as well. Their levers come in 1-5 group setups. Here is a link to their website:
http://www.bosco-macchine.com/home-.htmSo why a Bosco? I am very into high quality, handmade products and their craftsmanship is unparalleled (Kees Van der Westen is a different animal). Their machines have a very classic look and are beautiful, but not over the top. Also, I believe Cafe Vita carries parts as well if something does need to be replaced or repaired. The machine has all of the components you need to make great shots on a lever machine (as most levers do), but the only way your friend will get outrageously good shots on any lever is to pull a lot of shots!
I happen to have emailed Cafe Vita in early January to get pricing out of curiousity. Prices were $5,350 for a new 1-group, $6,095 for a new 2-group and $7,850 for a new 4-group (They did not include pricing on a new 3-group). Single group machines have to be ordered well in advance, because they do not make or sell many of them. They also had a used 3-group for sale at $6,000 and a used 5-group for sale at $8,200. I have no idea how firm they are on asking prices.
You can also surf the internet and find a lot of people who profess that La San Marco lever machines are untouchable when it comes to shot quality on a lever. This is attributed to their 53mm portafilters / baskets. A smaller and deeper basket is considered by many to give a more layered flavor profile that cannot be paralleled by a 58mm setup. Ask anyone who has had a machine with a small setup like a 49mm Elektra MCaL and a prosumer pump machine, an all of them will be able to attest to the dramatic difference (I am sure Staylor can comment as well). Not to say one is better than the other, obviously that is all in the persons palate / preferences.
What exactly is your friend looking for? How many groups? What type of look? New or old? If there is interest in a San Marco I have a very swanky looking one that is steps away from being finished (and has been for quite a while now. . . with my schedule a few simple things can take a really longtime
). It is a La San Marco 75 Series Leva with a hand-hammered copper hood and a fairly unique setup. It is a single group with the boiler capacity and heating element of a 2-group. 75 Series are rare in and of themselves, but that setup is even more unique.
Again, if money is not an issue, I know of a collector in Germany. His name is Julius Groten and he has one of the most beautiful collections of classic lever machines in the world. He does incredible restorations on these machines. Some are for sale from time to time. Prices are very fair, although I have no clue what crated freight shipping on one would cost from Europe.
There is always Kees Van der Westen's Mirage Idrocompresso too. If he wants something modern and machined that would be the one for him. The price I found for a 2-group was right around $9,500. . . . that is kind of crazy for a machine someone would use at home if you ask me . . .
Anyway, Doug and Barb Garrott are the owners of OrphanEspresso.com. They are very knowledgable on levers. I am not 100% sure if they always show all of their refurbished machine inventory on their site. I would recommend calling. I know they do have several machines that they do not post for sale, but as we all know almost everything is for sale if the price is right.