253: 1930 Isotta-Fraschini 8A Convertible Sedan by Cast
| Start Price |
USD 200,000.00 |
| Current Price |
USD 425,000.00 |
| Time Left |
- |
| Bid Count |
10 |
| Buy It Now Price |
- |
| Reserve Price |
- |
| Start Time |
Saturday, August 02, 2008 |
| End Time |
Saturday, August 02, 2008 |
| Location |
Meadow Brook Hall, Rochester, MI |
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See more about '253: 1930 Isotta-Fraschini 8A Convertible Sedan by Cast'
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Description
click for larger image253: 1930 Isotta-Fraschini 8A Convertible Sedan by Cast135bhp, 449.5 cu. in. inline eight-cylinder engine, three speed manual transmission, front and rear half elliptic leaf spring suspension, four-wheel power drum brakes. Wheelbase: 145.6"Cesare Isotta and the Fraschini brothers Vincenzo, Antonio and Oreste, were introduced to the world of automobile manufacturing when they decided to start importing French cars to be assembled in Italy. In 1904, Isotta and the Fraschinis, with the no-nonsense motto "Import, sell, repair cars" founded their own company, the Societa Milanese Automobili Isotta, Fraschini & C. Cesare Isotta, a lawyer by profession, was instrumental in getting the company off the ground. The Fraschini brothers naturally gravitated toward their respective aptitudes in the newly formed company.A preferred meeting place of the founders of Isotta-Fraschini was at the home of a very well-heeled family in their hometown of Milan. This home, belonging to Bianchi Anderlonis, seems like an odd location for young, enterprising men to gather and discuss business, until one is told of the three Anderlonis sisters who resided there. Speculation about the motives for this chosen place to discuss business were put to rest when Cesare Isotta wed Maria Anderlonis, Vincenzo Fraschini married Teodolinda and Antonio Fraschini tied the knot with the third sister, Carla. As for Oreste Fraschini, he would remain a bachelor for the rest of his life.Being brothers-in-law did not prevent Isotta and the Fraschinis from being excellent business partners, and in 1905 the budding automobile company hired engineer Giustino Cattaneo to be Isotta-Fraschini's technical director. This would prove to be one of the greatest decisions ever made by the company, as Cattaneo, through his endeavors with Isotta-Fraschini, would become one of the greatest Italian engineers of all time.The acceptance and praise of Isotta-Fraschini in these early years can largely be credited to the company's successes on the racetrack, of which there were many. Winning a race in the budding years of the automobile industry not only earned a company excellent promotion, but it proved to be the ultimate display of reliability, something that was not automatically assumed by customers when buying a new vehicle.However, the first Isotta-Fraschini race car designed by Giustino Cattaneo may be the most famous, and certainly not for its racing success. The Isotta-Fraschini Tipo-D race car was powered by a 17,195 cubic centimeter, (1,050 cubic inch) four-cylinder engine. This massive roadster did not last the first lap, but it taught Cattaneo an important lesson: more than power was needed to win a race.Just one year after Cattaneo was hired to lead product development, Isotta-Fraschini managed to secure second place behind Fiat as Italy's largest producer of automobiles. The 300 automobiles they built in 1906 were a far cry from Fiat's 1,800 but, given the company's relative infancy, this was quite an achievement.Seeking further advantages in Isotta-Fraschini's now very successful racing campaigns, the company began working on a four-wheel braking system that would improve the car's performance dynamics. Confident with the new design, they decided to showcase four-wheel braking to the general public at the 1910 Paris Auto Salon on one of their production vehicles. The innovation was received with widespread skepticism. Pioneers in front-wheel braking had found that attempting to slow down the front wheels of a vehicle in motion created dangerous instability, and everyone had given up on the idea, save one man. Cattaneo picked up where all others had failed, and managed to create a four-wheel braking system that was inherently balanced, providing equal braking force to the front wheels no matter the steering input or position.As impressive as Cattaneo's front-wheel braking was, its significance was overshadowed shortly after the First World War when Isotta-Fraschini introduced the Tipo 8/50. It is generally agreed that the Giustino Cattaneo-designed engine powering this car was the world's first production inline eight-cylinder engine. The Tipo 8/50 marked a polar shift for Isotta-Fraschini: no longer were they interested in producing a wide variety of vehicles and chasing success on the race track. In a bold and deliberate move, Isotta-Fraschini put all its eggs in one basket and decided to become a single model car company. This model would be unlike any other, as Isotta-Fraschini had decided to start building the most luxurious cars in the entire world. Their reasoning? After the War, only the wealthy in Europe and America would be able to afford a new car.The Tipo 8 was succeeded by the 8A, which by every measure proved successful in redefining all known conventions of luxury. Primarily responsible for this was the mechanical refinement and overall dimensions of the motor car. With light alloy pistons, drop forged connecting rods, overhead valves, and a ten main bearing crankshaft, the engine was powerful, reliable, smooth running and quiet. Naturally, the four-wheel braking was advanced for its time; with four huge drums at each corner and a vacuum servo booster (a technology that remains essentially unchanged today), the big car could easily and quickly come to a stop from high speeds. The chassis, made of heavy gauge stamped steel, had a standard wheelbase of 145.6 inches but could be stretched up to 157.5 inches for limousine coachwork.As expected, only the very best coachbuilders were commissioned to body an Isotta-Fraschini. Its sterling reputation among Italian coachbuilders, along with its proximate location in Milan made Carrozzeria Castagna a natural choice for many newly completed Isotta-Fraschini chassis. With roots tracing back to the 1830s, Castagna was a favorite coachbuilder for royalty long before they began producing coachwork for automobiles.Customers of Castagna-built Isotta-Fraschinis included newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, however, it was perhaps the 1929 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A Castagna Transformable featured in the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard that is the most famous of all.The 1930 Isotta-Fraschini 8A Convertible Sedan presented here is a U.S. specification model, originally imported through Isotta Motors Inc., New York. Fully restored, cosmetically the Convertible Sedan is remarkable. It is finished in a very subtle two-tone red paint scheme, with the fenders and beltline being a slightly darker shade of red than the rest of the car. This subtlety is very nicely accented with the use of gold pin striping along the bodylines. The brightwork is radiant throughout the convertible sedan, most notably seen on the mascot, the stone guard in front of the radiator and the stainless spoke wheels. The interior is lavishly appointed in leather and burled wood while the tan Haartz cloth top is an excellent recreation of the original.In the 1920s and well into the 1930s, before Isotta-Fraschini succumbed to the Depression, Castagna-built cars like this one were commanding prices almost twice that of Duesenbergs, Packards, Cadillacs and Pierce-Arrows. Considering the quality of the Isotta-Fraschini presented here, its next owner may be making a very wise purchase. This is especially true given the cost of restoration and spectacular prices Isotta-Fraschini's American contemporaries are currently achieving at auction. Isotta-Fraschinis of this caliber rarely come to auction, which makes this is an opportunity not to be missed.Auction House RM Auctions5 West Forest AveYpsilanti, MI United States 48197519.352.4575Important NoticeRM Auctions usually auctions automobiles at the rate of 20 lots per hour. On some occasions, eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. RM recommends placing a realistic absentee bid now, as insurance to help avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also re-open a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because of a missed audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that RM Auctions may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above, or under any other reasonable circumstances. Since eBay bids are not shown to us until we open the lot on the floor, we treat those bids just like floor bids. In most cases the floor responds before the eBay bid is presented to us, due to Internet lag time, so for consistency we have made it a policy that floor bids are always considered first over tying eBay live bids. Also please note that all RM Auctions lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 13% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid. This lot is being auctioned in conjunction with a live floor auction by RM Auctions, Inc. All final auction and invoice information will be supplied by RM Auctions, Inc., and all other information should be considered preliminary. Winning Notification and Billing: After the FINAL session in this auction is complete RM Auctions will send e-mail invoices. This process normally takes up to two days. All final auction and invoice information will be supplied by RM Auctions, Inc., and all other information should be considered preliminary. This auction will be conducted on a live auction floor and over the Internet through eBay Live. If you choose to place an absentee bid, please take a moment to learn how eBay Live absentee bidding works by visiting eBay's website.Terms & ConditionsPlease ensure that you have read and understood these terms and conditions prior to bidding at this or any other RM sale.1. All sales are final. No bidder may retract a bid made during the sale for any reason.2. Final bid price does not include 13% buyer's premium or applicable taxes on each lot purchased. Proof of tax exemption is buyer's responsibility.3. All payments must be in the form of cash (In House Only) or certified funds unless other arrangements have been approved in advance. Cash (In House Only) payments will be reported according to Federal government requirements.4. All sales are "as is" and "where is". Bidder is responsible for inspections and verification of condition, authenticity, and completeness of any item purchased. No warranties or representations of any type whatsoever are made by RM. Buyers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own evaluation and inspection. Any announcements made at the time of sale supercede any earlier printed information.5. Bidder authorizes RM Auctions, Inc. to authorize the credit card number provided for $2000. Should a bidder default on payment in any manner whatsoever, without limiting any recourse RM Auctions, Inc. may have, bidder agrees to pay RM Auctions, Inc. all lost auction fees (which is the maximum published rates for (1) the seller's commission, (2) the buyer's premium, and (3) the entry), this amount is due and payable without relief.6. Person bidding online must be 21 years of age or older. No minors are allowed to bid.7. If Buyer is picking up items or using a shipping company other than the RM recommended company, Buyer is responsible for removing items from the auction location by Monday, August 4th at 12:00 noon. Buyer is responsible for paying for the removal of items from the site, packing, shipping, handling and insurance of any items purchased. If Buyer is unable to provide RM with the name of a transportation company within 24hrs of the purchase, RM will release the lot to "Intercity Lines Inc". Buyer will pay RM directly for the lots, buyers fee and any applicable taxes and pay "Intercity" directly for their services.8. The auctioneer reserves the right to rearrange, separate, exclude or withdraw any lot without giving a reason.9. If buyer sues RM Auctions, Inc. and does not prevail, Buyer will reimburse RM Auctions, Inc. for all legal fees and expenses in connection with said suit.10. All terms of sale posted on the auction premises, printed in sale brochures or forms, publicly announced, communicated via the eBay bidding applet or otherwise published are incorporated herein by reference.ShippingIf Buyer is picking up items or using a packing/shipping company other than the RM recommended company, Buyer is responsible for removing items from the auction location by Monday, August 4th at 12:00 noon. Buyer is responsible to pay for the removal of items from the site, packing, shipping, handling and insurance of any items purchased. If Buyer is unable to provide RM with the name of a transportation company within 24hrs of the purchase, RM will release the lot to "Intercity Lines Inc". Buyer will pay RM directly for the lots, buyers fee and any applicable taxes and pay "Intercity" directly for their services.Buyer's Premium13%PaymentCash (In House Only), Money Order, Certified Check or Bank Wire Transfer. NOTE: RM DOES NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL AS A FORM OF PAYMENT. Any questions, please email.TaxesLocal 6% tax applies when picking up items or shipping within the state of Michigan.ContractYour bid is a contract.Place a bid only if you're serious about buying the item. If you are the successful and winning bidder, you have entered into a legally binding contract to purchase the property bid on from the seller. You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding.RegistrationBidders are required to:a) Sign up for this auction& b) Complete bidding approval formApproval is at the discretion of the Auction House.HelpHelp with biddingImages Auction services provided by LiveAuctioneers
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