1956 Fina Sport Convertible

In the early 1930s, Perry Fina of America opened an import car dealership and service center in New York City. He was an Italian-trained mechanic who catered to foreign car customers who needed service and parts. He was joined by his son Joe after World War II. Joe had served in the Army Air Corps during the war.

The car dealership quickly gained a reputation for its skill and ingenuity. Their mechanical prowess and techniques often led to the creation of specialized mechanical accessories, including their own patented muffler system. The Perry's European contacts helped them obtain a license to import and sell Allard cars.

Perry and Joe were also seen at various North Eastern racing venues where they campaigned their 1948 Nardi-Dense, which had originally been powered by an Alfa Romeo-supplied engine. The Fina's later reconfigured the car to accept a Cadillac powerplant.

Together, Perry and Joe would build a car of their own design that wore Italian coachwork by Vignale and rested on an American chassis. It was called the Fina Sport and was advertised as 'An Exclusive Car to please the man of discriminating taste.' It was built on a modified 115-inch Ford chassis with a 300-horsepower Cadillac V-8 engine, Hydramatic transmission, and an aluminum body. The engine bay was designed to house other V8 engines, including those from Chrysler or Lincoln.

The Fina Sport was 188 inches long, had a 105-inch wheelbase, and stood 54 inches tall. It had a 12-volt battery system, dual electric Marchal horns, and Marchal headlights. The front suspension was comprised of a knee action setup with dual shocks while the rear featured semi-elliptical springs with dual shocks.

The Fina Sport made its debut in 1954 at the World Motor Sports Show held in Madison Square Garden in New York, where it was awarded the Grand Prix in the Custom Sports Car Division. In 1956 it was awarded Best of Show in the Philadelphia Autorama.

Only three examples were completed, the first being the Coupe followed by two convertibles. It is not clear why production was limited. Promotional and marketing material had been created, but in the end, it may have been the price tag of $14,000.

This Convertible is the only one to have been totally restored to show condition. The current caretaker found the car several years ago in an ad. After researching the car's history, a restoration began. Period images were used, as well as information gained from individuals familiar with its history. The entire restoration process consumed over 2 years and 1,000s of man hours. The work was completed in 2018 with its inaugural restoration debut taking place at the Elegance at Hershey Concours d'Elegance.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2018