Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo Fraschini started the Isotta Fraschini Company in Italy around 1902. The Tipo series was produced from 1919 until 1935. In 1924, the 8A was introduced, replacing the Tipo 8 of 1920-23. The earlier Isotta Fraschini had introduced the world’s first series-produced inline eight-cylinder engine. The straight-eight engine, which Isotta was known for, was enlarged to 7.3 liters and produced around 120 horsepower. Overall, the 8A set new benchmarks for automotive magnificence. Between 1924 and 1932, a total of 950 8A chassis were produced. The price of a Tipo could reach $20,000, quite expensive for the time, and cost more than a Duesenberg Model J. The Isotta Fraschini was the most expensive motorcar produced in Italy. They were ordered by dignitaries and royalty of the period, and the Tipo 8A was the most powerful mass-produced straight-eight engine in the world. Unfortunately, WWII took its toll on the auto industry in Europe and Isotta ceased production in 1949.
A 1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A was acquired by Carrosserie Worblaufen around 1931 and used as the basis for a Sport Cabriolet they had envisioned on the long-wheelbase, 145-inch chassis. The chassis alone cost close to $10,000. The finished car was displayed at the 1932 Geneva Auto Show and won the Grand-Prix d’Honneur at Cannes in 1933. The well-balanced proportions of the chassis, with its long hood and a low windshield, belies its true size, and the appearance of the close-coupled body on the long-wheelbase is enhanced by the dual rear-mounted spares. This magnificent car has had only four owners from new; it lived a quiet life in Switzerland and France before coming to North America in 2014.
In 2015, this car took top honors with a ‘Best in Show’ award at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
