Isotta Fraschini models

Isotta Fraschini was an Italian maker of luxury cars and engines founded in Milan on 27 January 1900 by Cesare Isotta and the brothers Vincenzo, Antonio and Oreste Fraschini. It began as an importer of Mors and Renault cars and started building its own cars in 1904.

The company's most famous car was the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8, the first production car with a straight-eight engine. It was shown at the 1919 Paris Motor Show, reached customers in 1920 and was followed by the Tipo 8A and 8B. The Great Depression and the Second World War hit car sales, and in the 1930s the firm concentrated on aircraft and marine engines. Its last car, the Tipo 8C Monterosa, was built in only a handful of examples, and the original company went into liquidation in 1949. Its engine business continues as Isotta Fraschini Motori in Bari, part of Fincantieri. See also classic cars.