1954 Siata 208 S news, pictures, and information

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GT Cabriolet

Siata was the acronym for an Italian company that originally provided auto equipment and engine conversions, especially for Fiats. Automobile production began in 1948. Among the early Siatas were roadsters and coupe versions of the Fiat 8V coupe, both of which were produced as a joint effort with Fiat. (The order of the letter and numeral - 8V - was reversed as they though Henry Ford had patented the V8 name.)

The car is powered by an overhead-valve, 1977cc (2-liter) V8 engine developing 110 horsepower coupled to a manual transmission and capable of about 125 mph.

The very light aluminum bodies were made by Vignale and included a hood scoop. Siatas were mainly exported to the United States, where they took part in many sports car races. The 1875-pound car sold for $6,000.

Siata, meaning Societa Italiana Applicazioni Trasformazioni Automobilistiche, was created in 1926 by Georgio Ambrosini of Turin. They specialized in producing tuning accessories for Italian automobiles, mainly Fiat. Throughout the years they created a few prototype vehicles, many of which were entered in various racing events.

The Siata 208 was produced from 1952 through 1954. Many of the mechanical components were courtesy of Fiat, such as the V8 engine that was capable of producing 140 horsepower.

Originally, the vehicle was bodied by Stablimenti Farina but was later handled by Carrozzeria Balbo. Bertone was tasked with producing a GT saloon version powered by a Chrysler engine. In total, around 32 examples were produced.

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Siata: 1951-1960

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