1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Landaulet by Sala & Riva
- Engine
- 491 cu in (approx. 8.0L) V12
- Colour
- Two-tone
Chassis 655 is the earliest known Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A, bodied by Cesare Sala of Milan and first registered in September 1927 to a Milanese hotelier. It served as a hotel courtesy car in San Remo before being reacquired by the factory in 1958, where it remained through multiple corporate incarnations — ultimately Finmeccanica — for 58 years. Mechanically refreshed by RM Auto Restoration, it competed in the 2018 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance and was shown on the Concours lawn in the Italian Classic class.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$434,500
- —Auction saleEstimate US$450,000 – US$650,000
- —Auction saleSold €246,875 (≈ $272K)
- 1927-09-29 → 1958-07-16Factory deliveryFilippo Balzarifull documentation
Balzari was a hotelier who owned the Hotel Metropole et Monopole in Milan. From 1946 onward he designated the vehicle for livery use at his San Remo hotel, likely for chauffeuring guests. He relocated to San Remo in 1936, which prompted a re-registration. Original registration records survive.
- 1958-07-16 → 1993Private saleIsotta Fraschini Automobili—Bredapartial documentation
The factory repurchased the car for 100,000 lire. Shortly after reacquisition, Carrozzeria Riva was engaged to return the car to its original condition.
- 1993 → 2017Acquisition unknownFinmeccanicapartial documentation
The defence and aerospace conglomerate inherited the Isotta Fraschini name and this chassis through successive corporate restructurings from Mec-Fin SpA, retaining the car as a heritage asset for approximately 58 years in total under various corporate iterations.
- 2017 →Private saleCurrent third ownerpartial documentation
Acquired in early 2017 and dispatched to RM Auto Restoration for mechanical preparation and touring use, including carburetor and water pump rebuilds, new tyres, and fabrication of a replacement muffler.
Competition
- 20182018 Pebble Beach Tour d'EleganceCompleted without issue
The car finished the full touring route as part of the broader Pebble Beach Concours week activities.
- 20182018 Pebble Beach Concours d'EleganceShown in Italian Classic class
Displayed on the Pebble Beach lawn in the Italian Classic category following mechanical preparation by RM Auto Restoration.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2017MechanicalRM Auto Restoration
Comprehensive mechanical preparation for road use, including rebuilding the carburettors and water pump, replacing all fluids, fitting new gaskets throughout, checking and setting up the brakes, mounting new tyres, and fabricating a new exhaust silencer to original specification.
Work was commissioned by the current owner in preparation for the 2018 Pebble Beach events.
- 2017BodyworkRM Auto Restoration
The bonnet was repainted following heat-check inspection, the bodywork was fully detailed, and all brightwork was polished.
Carried out concurrently with the mechanical preparation.
- —RestorationCarrozzeria Riva
Following the factory's reacquisition of the car, Carrozzeria Riva undertook a restoration to return it to its original condition.
Commissioned early in the factory's ownership, after the July 1958 repurchase.
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