Majestic
I have a very special relationship with Isotta-Fraschini. Many, many moons ago, when the Geneva Motor Show was still the place to be for the automotive world, there were also some great classic car exhibitions. I can’t remember the year, but as a beardless youth I was given the opportunity to write about a truly powerful automobile that had once belonged to Rodolfo Valentino. Of course, I knew Ferrari and I drove an Alfa Romeo, but I had never heard of Isotta-Fraschini, so I had to read up on it. But because I couldn’t find any good material in Switzerland, I had to go to Milan – and that’s how I came into contact with Tito Angelo Anselmi, the truly good conscience of Italian automotive history and founder of the new edition of the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este. He became a great mentor to me, not only teaching me a lot and opening many doors for me, but also influencing me greatly, especially in not believing everything that is said about old cars. Through Anselmi, I also had the pleasure of being the youngest jury member to take part in a beauty contest in Trieste that was specially organised for Isotta-Fraschini cars. Since then, I have loved Isotta – and Trieste too.
The lawyer Cesare Isotta and the engineer Vincenzo probably started importing vehicles to Italy from Milan in 1898. By 1900, the first of their own automobiles had been constructed – and a little later, things got confusing. The Italians had money one minute, then none the next, building lorries and aircraft engines. The only constant was probably the chief designer Giustino Cattaneo, who worked from 1905 to 1933 – and during this time developed some of the most magnificent Italian vehicles. His masterpiece was the Tipo 8, introduced in 1919, with its 5.9-litre inline eight-cylinder engine, probably the first mass-produced machine with overhead valves. With this silky-smooth running power unit, the Italians rose to the top class of automotive engineering; only Hispano-Suiza was able to keep up with Isotta-Fraschini immediately after the First World War (Rolls-Royce was always overestimated). In its most powerful version, the Tipo 8 produced 90 hp. Carrozzeria Castagna and Cesare Sala were usually responsible for the bodies, but in the USA Fleetwood also dressed a few Isotta-Fraschini.
We are showing an Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A from 1929 as an Imperial Cabriolet by Castagna, chassis number #1587. Not much is known about its history, but it is assumed that it was one of four Isotta cars exhibited at the New York International Auto Show in 1929. Little is known about its early history. In 1973, the car came into German ownership, later belonging to Thomas Monaghan (the founder of Domino’s Pizza, who in the 1980s bought an enormous collection, including a Bugatti Royale, but parted with all earthly goods in 1992). It was then restored for a long time. Now it will be auctioned by Gooding & Co. at Amelia Island 2025, where it is expected to fetch between $400,000 and $500,000.
We have other fine pre-war classics in our archive.
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