Chassis No. 1540

Engine No. 1605

The Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A S was an improved variant of the Tipo 8 first introduced in 1919. The 8A S boasted a larger displacement as well as improvements to aspiration, suspension, steering, and more modern coachwork consistent with the roughly 1928 to 1932 period in which the majority of these later cars were constructed and sold.

The so-named Roadster Cabriolet by Carrozzeria Castagna was a successful and attractive design, with notable features including the distinctively European dual rear-mounted spares, squared-off windshield pillars, and an attractive convertible top. Each of these bodies were beautifully finished with details like intricately detailed running boards, wood inlay trim even in the rumble seat which boasts a sunburst pattern on the inserts, and most cars being appointed with one of a series of beautifully designed radiator stone guards.

A number of these Roadster Cabriolets found homes in the United States via the New York dealer Isotta Motors, and chassis 1540 was one of those, having been delivered to New York from the factory in Milan in October 1929. According to correspondence on file, it was used as a demonstrator before being sold to Eugene Maxwell Moore in February 1930, with a copy of the bill of sale on file. Sadly, Mr. Moore passed away later that same year, and his widow, Margaret Graham Moore, returned the vehicle to the dealership. The car was then sold by Isotta Motors in November 1930 to John E. Kelly, also of New York City.

The history file contains correspondence between John Kelly and Isotta Motors regarding the delivery and service of the car, along with copies of Kelly's subsequent registrations in Nevada. Mr. Kelly later transferred ownership of the vehicle to his fiancée, Cecilia Cameron, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, who owned the car until 1964. It was then sold John Eads, who restored it in 1968. The vehicle was subsequently offered for sale by John's brother, Dr. Charles Eads, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1972.

Well-known classic car dealer Tom Barrett, purchased the car from Eads and took it to Arizona, and subsequently sold it to Michael Berry of Detroit, Michigan, by 1977. It later was acquired by a U.K.-based shipping magnate until 1983, when Don Williams of the Blackhawk Collection brought the car back to the United States, where it had only 13,350 original miles on the odometer. It was refurbished in the original colors in Williams' ownership, consisting of beige with cream fenders and a burgundy coach line, complemented by a subtle tan cloth top and tan interior. The Academy of Art University acquired the car from Blackhawk in 2012, adding it to an already extensive collection.

Even after a dozen years, the odometer reads only 13,527 original miles, which are believed to represent the car's original mileage. Since the current owner's acquisition, the car has been displayed at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours, when Isotta Fraschini was the featured marque, where it received a class award as well as a ribbon for having completed the Tour d'Elegance, and was subsequently displayed at the Ironstone Concours in 2018, where it was awarded Best in Class. This elegant coachbuilt masterpiece of engineering remains a wonderful example of the marque and the Milanese coachbuilder's craft.