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1952 Siata 208 S

Cabriolet Speciale by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 208SL 1006613

This Siata-Ford 208S is a one-off example with aluminum coachwork by Stabilimenti Farina. It was a promotional tool by Jimmy Mulgrew of Euclid Ford in Euclid, Ohio. Mulgrew enlisted the expertise of racer Dick Irish, class winner at the 1952 12 Hours of Sebring, to assist with the project. Originally the project was to be based on a Ford 'Police Special' chassis, but the request for a chassis was reportedly denied by the Ford Motor Company. Instead, a 1951 Ford sedan was purchased from Euclid Ford and sent to Siata via Tony Pompeo's New York dealership in mid-1952.

The frame was specially designed by Siata and it is known whether the entire car was sent to Italy and then taken apart, or whether the major components of the car were removed in New York and then shipped abroad. The mechanical components included a flathead V-8 drivetrain, instrumentation, and suspension from that Ford sedan.

The completed aluminum cabriolet was returned to New York in late 1952, very close to when Stabilimenti Farina ceased operations. It has been suggested that coachbuilder Bertone may have finished the car.

The Special Cabriolet was displayed at Euclid Ford, later to be sold through Alfred Momo's New York dealership in 1955. The second owner is not known. In the mid-1960s it was acquired by Frank Russo Sr. of Jacksonville, Maryland. It remained with Mr. Russo for several years until it was sold to a new owner in the late 1960s. Michael Caltrider purchased the car in October of 1974. It was later purchased by Michael Supley in August 1975, Roland Wommack, Bill Lightfoot in 1982, Phil Goutell in 1985, Joseph Alphabet in 1987, and Oliver Kuttner in 1988.

By the summer of 1988, the car had fallen into disrepair, when it was refurbished for the first time by Mr. Kuttner. It sat mostly unused until 2005, when it was purchased by Jerry Bensinger and Daniel Rapley, who then sold the car to the current caretaker.

Since that time, the car has been given a full restoration of the aluminum coachwork by German shop Bernhadt Karosseriebau, before being shipped to Absolute Engineering of Goleta, California, to complete the rest of the car.

by Dan Vaughan

Spyder by Motto
Chassis number: BS526

Introduced in 1952, the first SIATA 208S was powered by Fiat's 2-liter, 70-degree V8 engine and had a barchetta body styled by Giovanni Michelotti and built by Carrozzeria Motto. After around 200 engines had been built and just 114 Fiat 8Vs had been finished, production came to a half and the remaining '8V' engines were given to SIATA, as they had been deeply involved in its development. With its cutting-edge chassis design and high-torque engine, many 208s were exported to America and raced successfully by leading drivers of the day.

This car is one of 35 barchettas sold to McAfee Engineering, owned by Ernie McAfee, a race driver and dealer of Italian racing car in Los Angeles. Its first race was actually its first win; driving it, Dick Hayward placed first overall at the Santa Barbara Road Races in March 1956. The car was raced throughout 1956 by Hayward and its new owner, George Dillaway. Its current owner bought the SIATA in 1994, and it ran in almost every Mille Miglia retrospective, as well as the Colorado Grand, until 2000.

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. Among the speed equipment produced were dual carburetor manifolds, overhead valve conversions, superchargers, high compression cylinder heads, gearsets, and even complete gearboxes. Throughout the years they created a few prototype vehicles, many of which were entered in various racing events.

After World War II, SIATA resumed construction of FIAT-based sports cars, winning the 750cc Italian Championship in 1948 and 1949 in the hands of Giorgio Ambrosini's son Renato with the FIAT-SIATA 750 Sport Competizione.

A series of SIATA 300BC Spyders were constructed for the United States market and equipped with Crosley's 750cc single overhead camshaft engine. These were followed by larger cars, influenced by their involvement with FIAT's Otto Vu project from the onset. When Fiat ceased production of the Otto Vu after 49 cars had been built, SIATA was granted access to the overrun of planned V8 powerplants, leading to the production of their own 2-liter model dubbed the 208S (Sport). The elegant coachwork was penned by the styling house of Motto. The engine, tuned by SIATA, was capable of producing 125 horsepower (or more). Body styles included coupe and Spyders, and in the United States, the price tag began at $5,000, a hefty figure for the mid-1950s. Despite the cost, the Siata found a following in the California culture, where it was embraced for its elegant styling and breathtaking performance.

The 8V (or Otto Vu) had an oversquare, 70-degree design with aluminum block and heads and wedge-shaped combustion chambers. Among the Siata contributions included a camshaft and better-breathing heads. The engine was installed in an advanced tubular frame chassis, with fully independent coil-spring suspension and telescopic shock absorbers.

Most of the 208S models delivered through McAfee Engineering were the all-alloy Spyders with bodywork designed by Michelotti. Ernie McAfee was a skilled hot-rodder, racing driver, and tuner. With financial backing from the wealthy Doheny family, his McAfee Engineering imported a singular Italian sports car to the United States - the 208S - and was responsible for the popularity of the model on the West Coast. McAfee's period advertising proclaimed 'Equal these items in any Car and you have a SIATA V8 - 2 Liter V8 Engine, 4 Wheel Independent Suspension, 78 Spoke Borrani Racing Wheels, Genuine 120hp with 120mph, Fantastic Brakes, Michelin Tires, 1900 lbs Weight. $4995 Complete.'

The Siata 208 Sport was produced from 1953 through 1955 with 35 examples built, including the two Bertone-designed prototypes. The 208S were spiders while the 208 CS was its roadster counterpart.

by Dan Vaughan