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1927 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A

Isotta Fraschini derived significant technical advancements from its early racing endeavors, and it became the first automaker to fit four-wheel brakes to its production cars as standard equipment. At the Paris Salon of 1919, they introduced the world's first production inline 8-cylinder engine. Several other significant changes occurred at Isotta Fraschini in the post-World War I era, from building a plethora of models to consolidating them into a single series. A novel breakthrough was the alloy-block inline eight-cylinder built in unit with the gearbox and intended for the upper echelon of buyers in Europe and America.

The company was founded in 1900 by Cesare Isotta and Oreste Fraschini, and a year later, at the Milan Exposition, they displayed their primitive five horsepower, single-cylinder car. The progression to bigger and better technology was rapid, fueled by the company's involvement in motorsports, with celebrated victories including the 1908 Targa Florio and a second place in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup.

The Tipo 8 was introduced in 1919 and came as a chassis only with the lion's share of production being clothed by Carrozzeria Castagna and Cesare Sala. The car's mechanical prowess was courtesy of chief engineer Giustino Cattaneo. About half of all Tipo 8s made their way to America, where they became very fashionable in Hollywood. The sporty persona of the company's previous models shifted towards refinement and luxury, eschewing overhead cams in favor of pushrod-operated overhead valves. The brakes operated on all four wheels and were fitted with mechanical, servo-operated assist.

The Tipo 8's displacement was increased, along with power in 1924, resulting in the Tipo 8A. The 7,370cc inline overhead-valve eight-cylinder engine had a ten main bearings crankshaft, overhead valves, light-alloy pistons, and delivered 100 horsepower. The engine was backed by a three-speed manual transmission and the wheelbase measured 145.6-inches but could be extended to 157.5 inches to accommodate limousine coachwork. The S and SS models used a 134-inch wheelbase frame and high-compression engines with a higher axle ratio for high-speed motoring. A solid axle was in the front while a live axle was at the rear, with semi-elliptic leaf springs all round. Stopping power was now courtesy of vacuum-assisted braking.

By 1928, the company became more heavily involved in aircraft work, a trend accelerated by the Depression that followed, resulting in dwindling car sales through 1935, after which most remaining parts were scrapped. An improved Tipo B with a four-speed transmission was introduced in 1913, and it is believed that fewer than 100 examples were built compared with 320 examples of the Tipo 8 and 950 of the Tipo 8A. After Henry Ford's plan to save the company failed, the company was acquired in 1932 by the aircraft manufacturer Count Caproni di Talideo. After 1935, the company concentrated on aero engines and truck production.

A brief post-World War II revival was unsuccessful.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster by Fleetwood
Chassis number: 1175
Engine number: 1174

Isotta Fraschini is best remembered for the development of the Tipo 8 Series automobile that debuted in 1912, featuring an inline eight-cylinder engine - the first of its type put into series production anywhere in the world. The successor was the Tipo 8A series introduced in 1924, offering 115 horsepower, a redesigned frame and suspension, and Isotta's highly regarded three-speed transmission. These cars were the ultimate in luxury and extremely expensive.

This car, a 1927 Isotta Fraschini, was commissioned by Rudolf Valentino. Valentino had been a true car aficionado and his car of choice was the Isotta Fraschini built in his native homeland of Italy. At a cost of $25,000, Valentino hired American coachbuilders LeBaron and Fleetwood to design and built this unique roadster on the high-performance 8A S chassis. This Tipo 8A Roadster was one of two similar cars bodied by Fleetwood. It was the last example that was commissioned by Valentino and was ordered through a New York distributor. Valentino himself was reportedly involved in the cars' design work. Valentino never had a chance to drive the car as he passed away suddenly at age 31. The car was exhibited at the 1926 New York Auto Salon and then put on display in the front window of Isotta Motors. Priced at $25,000 it was suggested that it should be cut into 100 pieces and sold for $250 each to mourning fans.

After the show it was bought by financier John Locke as a gift for Peggy Hopkins Joyce (her full name was Peggy Upton Archer Hopkins Joyce Morner Easton Meyer), a celebrity who lived a rather scandalous life - an American socialite known for her highly profitable love affairs and marriages. There is debate on if Mr. Locke or even Walter P. Chrysler gifted the car to Joyce. She parted company with her car in the late 1930s, and subsequent ownership of the roadster picks up with George Waterman, who was its owner as early as 1945. Howard Kizer later acquired the car. It was later given a restoration in bright blue and exhibited it at CCCA events in the Midwest during the 1960s. Kizer later passed the car to Richard C. Paine's Seal Cove Auto Museum, where it was displayed for nearly two decades before its sale in 1985 to Matt and Barbara Browning of Ogden, Utah. The current caretakers acquired it in 2001 from the Browning collection, and RM Auto Restoration was later tasked with performing an authentic restoration to its original condition. The work was completed in 2003, and many significant national awards followed, including Best of Show at the Meadow Brook, Greenwich, Lehigh, and St. Michaels Concours d'Elegance; the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Celebration of Automobiles; the Elegance at Hershey; and the Concours d'Elegance of Texas, as well as Best in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Seriously affected by the economic crisis of the 1930s and then by the disruptions of World War II, Isotta-Fraschini stopped making cars after the war. Only five of the last model, the Monterosa, were produced. The plants were converted to produce marine engines.

Sala Torpedo Phaeton Tourer by Cesare Sala
Chassis number: 839
Engine number: 662

This 1927 Isotta Fraschini 8A Boattail Tourer was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held in Amelia Island, Florida where it was estimated to sell between $450,000 - $550,000. It is powered by a 449.5 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine capable of producing 135 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel power drum brakes.

The 8A was a refined automobile that had a standard wheelbase of 145.6 inches. This could be extended to 157.5 inches to accommodate limousine coachwork. There were four-wheel drums on all four corners and a vacuum servo booster to aide in bringing the car to a stop from high speeds. Under the bonnet was an engine that was every bit a mechanical marvel as the cars were refined. The engine had a ten main bearing crankshaft, overhead valves, and light alloy pistons.

This example has a custom body created by Carrozzeria Italiana Cesare Sala of Milan. In 1927, the chassis cost $8500 with the coachwork adding an additional $6000, making this a very expensive vehicle at the time. The Cesare Sala coachwork demanded this cost due to the reputation it had accumulated through its years of creating elegant carriages for European royalty.

In 1986, the Blackhawk Collection acquired the vehicle and commissioned a restoration, thou it had been found in excellent and original condition. The restoration lasted two years, after which, it was put on display at the Blackhawk Museum.

At auction, there was interest in the vehicle, and the dollar figure rose quickly. The peak of that climb reached $390,500, falling short of the estimated value. Regardless, the vehicle found its next owner and was sold.

by Dan Vaughan

Dual Cowl Phaeton by LeBaron
Chassis number: 1363
Engine number: 1385

Cesare Isotta and Oreste Fraschini founded their company in 1900. A year later, at the Milan Exposition, the company displayed its first primitive 5 horsepower, single-cylinder car. With the company's involvement in motorsport, the progress was rapid, with celebrated victories including the 1908 Targa Florio and a second place in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup. Isotta-Fraschini built engines for the aircraft industry and was favored with Government orders for their aero engines.

Chief Engineer, Giustino Cattaneo, focused on a one-model policy for Isotta-Fraschini in the 1920s, launching the world's first production straight-eight motor car, the Tipo 8, in 1920. The early Isotta engines were push-rod operated with overhead valves and displaced 5.9 liters. The vehicles featured mechanical, servo-operated, four-wheel brakes which provided ample stopping power.

In 1925, the company introduced the Tipo 8A, and featured an engine of 7,372cc displacement along with vacuum-assisted braking and was offered in three different engine specifications, the Spinto and Superspinto developing 150 horsepower.

The standard Tipo 8A had a wheelbase of 145 inches; the S and SS models had a 134-inch wheelbase frame. These short-wheelbase versions were often given a high-compression engine and a higher axle ratio for high-speed driving.

The Isotta Fraschini was the second most popular foreign manufacturer after Rolls-Royce, with price tags that exceeded even those of the Duesenberg Model J. The chassis alone was priced at $9,750, while coach-built models could cost upwards of $20,000. A third of all Tipo 8 models went to the United States.

An improved Tipo 8B featured a four-speed transmission and was introduced in 1931. It is believed that fewer than 100 examples were built compared with 320 of the Tipo 8 and 950 of the 8A.

In 1932, the company was purchased by the aircraft manufacturer, Count Caproni di Talideo. Pre-war production ceased in 1935, with Isotta Fraschini concentrating on aero engines and trucks thereafter. An abortive comeback attempt followed in 1947 with a rear-engined V8, but the project foundered after just a few cars had been completed.

This 1927 Isotta-Fraschini Model 8ASS wears Five-Passenger Dual Cowl Phaeton coachwork by LeBaron. It was delivered new to America and was first the property of Piperno of New York. By the mid-1970s, the car was owned by Peter Ferwarda of Rahway, New Jersey. The subsequent owner was Bob Rooke of New Jersey who had the car restored and by then with a Victoria 'Cape' top.

The current owner acquired the car several years ago and was responsible for bringing it to the excellent condition in which it can be found in modern times. It was given a comprehensive restoration, after which it was extensively toured.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe Chauffeur by Saoutchik

This Isotta Fraschini is believed to have been built for a Greek Minister of Finance. The aristocratic Coupe Chauffeur coachwork is by Jacques Saoutchik and includes several Saoutchik trademarks, such as the forward-sweeping strip down the side of the cowling and the beautiful woodwork surrounding the passenger windows. The car was confiscated by the Italian Army when it invaded Greece in 1940 and was used as a command vehicle. After the war ended the car was sold as 'surplus war material' and found its way into the garage of a Greek pharmacist in Athens. Major William A. Pelton, an American commander in Crete, later brought the car to his home in Dayton, Ohio. In 1964, after two additional owners, this Tipo 8A was acquired by Tony Hulman for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum where it remains.

Sala Torpedo Phaeton Tourer by Cesare Sala

The Isotta Fraschini 7.3-liter Tipo 8A, launched in 1924, was built to three different specifications - the standard Tipo 8A on a 145-inch wheelbase and two powerful 150 horsepower models, the Spinto S and Super Spinto SS, each on a 134-inch chassis.

This car has a Torpedo body created by Cesare Sala of Milan, a small carrozzeria with a great reputation for creating elegant carriages. Nautical details include the beautiful intakes on the cowl and the parquet-style wooden rear deck. This Isotta Fraschini 8A was originally owned by Cyril Gleeson of Killaloe, Ireland before it was brought to the United States by noted collector D. Cameron Peck. In 1995 it was donated to the Canadian Automotive museum by the estate of John 'Bud' McDougal.

Dual Cowl Phaeton by LeBaron
Chassis number: 1363
Engine number: 1385

Like Mercedes-Benz and FIAT, Isotta Faschini gained prestige and technical know-how from its early racing endeavors. Isotta was the first automaker to offer four-wheel brakes as standard equipment on its production cars. They introduced the first production straight 8-cylinder engine at the Paris Salon in 1919, well before Duesenberg and Bugatti.

The 1920s was the era of the coachbuilders and while the mechanicals were produced by Isotta Fraschini, the coachwork was done by LeBaron Inc., of New York and Connecticut. The 8-AS features a 7.3-liter powerplant rated at 120 horsepower.

In 1902, Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo Fraschini created the Isotta Fraschini Company. This decision was made after years of successfully importing French vehicles to Italy. Automobile production was very new and this led to the creation of hundreds of independent automobile producers worldwide. It was also a unique time in history since the automotive market was evolving, and so were the designs. This was true for the Isotta Fraschini Company, and they were rewarded for their unique creations by continued success. The elegantly designed automobiles were popular with the rich clientele. Their creations were reliable, stylish, and quick. At Targa Florio in 1908, one of their automobiles won.

In 1912 the Isotta Fraschini Company introduced a straight eight-cylinder engine but would not go into production until 1919 due to World War I. During the war, the Company shifted its resource to building airplane engines. When the war was over, the eight-cylinder engine was used to power their Tipo 8, making it the first straight-eight-cylinder engine to go into production. The 5.9-liter engine was capable of producing 100 horsepower, an extremely difficult accomplishment at the time.

In 1924, the engine capacity of the engine was increased to 7.3 liters, giving the vehicle between 110 and 120 horsepower depending on the configuration. The name was modified to reflect this change and was dubbed the 8A. The company claimed the vehicle could accelerate to a top speed of 90 miles per hour.

The vehicle could be had in a variety of flavors and sizes. The standard model sat atop a 145-inch wheelbase, while a sportier version was fitted with a 134-inch wheelbase. The price to own one of these magnificent creations was not cheap, weighing in around $20,000.

In 1931 a four-speed gearbox and a refined engine were introduced, and the name was changed to 8B. As with most businesses at this time, the Great Depression and the Second World War had taken their toll on the company. The company had shifted focus to creating airplane and marine engines during World War II. After the war, several efforts were made to jump-start vehicle production, but all attempts failed. The factory was forced to close.

by Dan Vaughan