1929 Isotta Fraschini 8A For Sale in St Louis, MO, 2146374222 Tweet

Destined to become one of Italys most prestigious luxury car manufacturers Isotta-Fraschini formed in the late 1800s when lawyer Cesare Isotta partnered with brothers Vincenzo Antonio and Oreste Fraschini. The four men shared a passion for motorcars and they began importing French DeDions into Milan before embarking on a more ambitious plan to build a car of their own. Finding success in the early 1910s the company grew steadily and enjoyed an increasingly loyal following particularly in the American market. The Tipo 8 of 1912 marked Isotta-Fraschinis arrival in the upper echelon of car manufacturers featuring worlds first production inline 8-cylinder engine and four-wheel brakes.The successor Tipo 8A followed in 1924 retaining the eight-cylinder layout but with an entirely new chassis and suspension. Testers criticized early iterations for being underpowered compared to the mighty Hispano-Suiza but in Isottas defense the 8As objective was silence over speed. Not to be outdone however subsequent evolutions of the Tipo 8A the Spinto and Super Spinto made 135 hp and 160 hp respectively putting any criticism to rest. Particularly in ultimate S.S. form the Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A stands among the most desirable of all Classic Era automobiles. The combination of power prestige and engineering excellence was matched by the work of great coachbuilders including Fleetwood Derham Worblaufen and Italys own Castagna. In America where nearly a third of Isottas were sold the price of an 8A exceeded that of a Model J Duesenberg. Pricing started at $9750 for a chassis alone with complete cars often approaching $20000 depending on coachwork. As such Isottas attracted the likes of King Faisal the Aga Khan William Randolph Hearst and Rudolph Valentino to name just a few.One of those aforementioned great coachbuilders was the Floyd-Derham Company. With the passing of Derhams founder Joseph J. Derham in 1928 a rift between his three sons was exposed which would change the makeup of the company. Son Philip wanted the firm to modernize and expand while siblings James and Enos remained in favor of running the firm just as it had been with their father at the helm. Philip left the Derham Body Company in 1928 and utilized the backing of William Floyd a European car importer based in Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania. Philip Derham was responsible for the design and drafting work and the actual body production was carried out by the well-known Alexander Wolfington Son & Company.Just prior to the stock market crash of 1929 the Floyds imported car business began to falter and they withdrew their support of the nascent coachbuilding firm despite the fact that there were orders to fill. These were ultimately completed by Wolfington with the help of the Derham Body Co. Although short-lived the firm did manage to produce two vehicles for display. One of those was a Minerva Town Cabriolet displayed at the Chicago Salon in the fall of 1928 which is now part of the Nethercutt Collection. The second car is this Isotta Fraschini Convertible Sedan chassis 1571 which was displayed at the New York Auto Salon in December.After the show the car went into private ownership and next appeared in the collection of early enthusiast Paul F. Cofrancesco of New Britain Connecticut who was actively purchasing these magnificent used pre-war masterpieces in the 1940s and 50s. A graduate of the Yale School of Fine Art Paul was an accomplished artist and musician and he was also a friend of Rudolph Valentino. Perhaps it was Valentinos association with the Isotta Fraschini marque that fueled Cofrancescos interest because he ultimately had four of them in his collection.Cofrancesco came to the attention of fellow pioneer collector Anthony Pascucci of Meriden Connecticut who tried many times over the years to acquire the cars. Ultimately well-known collector and operatic tenor Sergio Franchi got involved in the chase and the two ultimately convinced Mr. Cofrancesco to part with his cars around 1975.As unearthed from the garage in New Britain the car was still finished in its original color scheme of Butterscotch with yellow fenders and belt line. Mechanically recommissioned it remained largely original through the subsequent ownership in several well-known collections. In 2006 it was entrusted to Reinholds Restorations of Reinhold Pennsylvania for a thorough body-off restoration. The work which was completed in 2008 saw the body stripped down to the bare chassis and all of the components rebuilt and refinished. The engine transmission and rear end were fully disassembled and rebuilt with all-new gaskets and seals. In addition new high-compression aluminum pistons and rings were fitted. In the process of restoration every piece of chrome was replated and the wheels were fully rebuilt and balanced by the Dayton Wire Wheel Company. More recently the car has received further maintenance and sorting by noted Classic Era specialist Automotive Restorations in Lebanon NJ.Finished in a handsome two-tone green the body is accented with subtle red stripes. Providing a pleasing contrast to the body color scheme is a richly appointed dark tan leather interior with ostrich seat inserts and a tan cloth top. The chromed wire wheels are shod with whitewall tires and the radiator stone guard which is nearly unique on every Isotta Fraschini depicts a point-down triangle divided down the middle. Some interesting features of this example are the tubular bar-type bumpers the wood ribs on the front splash apron and the upward curve of the door which reaches up almost imperceptibly to match the height of the cowl. The long belt molding traverses the length of the hood and then splits at the cowl and continues down the side of the body where it rejoins and dips down sharply to allow room for the convertible top to fold down. The rear contains additional room for a stationary trunk rack and trunk.The mighty 7.3-liter overhead valve inline-eight is more than up to the task of propelling the big Isotta along with ease. With the signature bright red cylinder block the jewel-like presentation continues on the engine which was completely rebuilt during the restoration.Compared with the Americans and other European neighbors Italys contribution to Classic Era automobiles was somewhat smaller yet as we see with this exceptional motorcar no less impactful. Fastidiously restored this is the sole example of Floyd-Derham coachwork on an Isotta Fraschini chassis and is ready for the next keeper to carry on its remarkable legacy.Offers welcomed and trades consideredFor additional details please view this listing directly on our website https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7687-1929-isotta-fraschini-8a-convertible-sedan/