Isotta Fraschini 8C Monterosa Zagato 1947 Blue/Blue

Isotta Fraschini 8C Monterosa Zagato 1947 Blue/Blue by Autocult

A failed Dream  
With the idea of ‘importing, selling and repairing cars’, Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo Fraschini founded their company in Milan on January 27, 1900. Under the short form of their surnames as ‘Isotta Fraschini’, the plant became known in the automotive industry. In the summer of 1934, the last car with the company logo at the radiator left the production line.   According to the political will, the plant had to produce engine for Italian aircrafts from then on. In the years of war the production operated at full stretch and yet the desire of the company management to return to automobile production came up again. The plans had already been made for the end of the war. These plans included a car for the wealthy customer. A V8 rear engine with a displacement of 3.4 liters and an output of 125 hp was supposed to accelerate the car up to 170 km/h – values that were far from conventional in Italy 1945!   The car body was designed by the 43-year-old Fabio Luigi Rapi. His elongated design provided a generous interior for six seats. For the production of the car body, Isotta Fraschini commissioned the company of Ugo Zagato. Today it is believed that Zagato only built one body and the second one was based on the conversion of the first. As designation they went for – in reference to the pre-war typology – the name ‘Tipo 8C Monterosa’. Until the present day the exact number of prototypes produced is contentious. The number oscillates between three and six copies, where two Zagato bodies and a convertible version from 1948 being proven. The car body of the luxury convertible version was not manufactured by Zagato, but from the car body maker Boneschi. In the case of Isotta Fraschini, car production did not ultimately resume because the Italian authorities did not allow it. Instead, the factory dedicated itself to the production of boat engines.