Vehicle Description
Chassis No. CS 071
Engine No. CS 052
Siata and the "Otto Vu"
Some unremarkable cars pass from generation to generation tenderly,
as sentimental family heirlooms. Some truly incredible vehicles
change hands seemingly every few years. Then there are the unicorns
- those cars that are remarkable and held in a place of high esteem
within a single family for decades. Names may be exchanged,
discussions are held, and offers are made, but that special member
of the family always returns home where it's most understood and
appreciated. It wasn't always this way for the Eisenstark's Siata,
a car found sitting on a Queens, New York used car lot in 1959.
Just how did it make its way from Turinese artisans in 1953 to
catch the eye of Dr. Julius Eisenstark who was on his way to place
an order for a new Renault Caravelle just six years later? Let's
not get ahead of ourselves...
For those unfamiliar, Siata (Societ� Italiana Auto Trasformazioni
Accessori) was founded in Turin in 1926, focused on producing
accessory and tuning parts, later gaining popularity for their
collaborations with Fiat, creating special editions and tuning kits
for various models. Ever the scrappy company, Siata came into its
own after World War II manufacturing a small 48 cc engine, dubbed
the "Cucciolo" or Little Puppy, that could be mounted on a bicycle
near the crankshaft creating a rudimentary motorcycle. Especially
popular throughout Italy, the profits allowed the company to begin
producing their own automobiles - featherweight sports cars of
their own design renowned for their elegance, performance, and
innovative engineering, earning the company a dedicated
following.
Around the same time, Fiat conceived a plan to build a sedan for
the American market. With the understanding that a 569 cc
four-cylinder Topolino would not sell well in the United States,
they settled on creating an all-new, 2.0-liter V8 engine with
assistance from Siata. Unfortunately for Fiat, the sedan design
wasn't well received but knowing the new, all-aluminum engine had
potential, they placed it in their new 8V "Otto Vu" sports car.
While very competitive, the 8V sold slowly in a post-war economy
and, in a stroke of fortune, Fiat offered Siata approximately 50 of
these excess 8V engines to power cars of their own design.
With a powerplant in hand, Siata went to work crafting
specifications for their new 208S (Spider) and 208CS (Coupe).
Technically advanced for its time, the 208 featured tubular ladder
chassis construction with independent suspension all around. The 8V
engine, with a dollop of Siata intake, camshaft, and carburetor
tuning, produced around 125 horsepower put to the rear wheels
through a five-speed transmission. Working with some of Italy's
finest coachbuilders, Siata offered a 208S barchetta with
hand-formed aluminum bodies from Michelotti and Carrozzeria Motto
and the 208CS berlinetta with bodies first from Stabilimenti Farina
and later from Carrozzeria Balbo. Both versions of the 208, by
either coachbuilder, are a product of their era and method of
construction and that is to say - achingly beautiful. During
production, approximately 53 208 Siatas were sold, with just 18 of
these produced as 208CS Berlinetta coupes. A mere eleven were
bodied by Carrozzeria Balbo.
Siata 208CS Chassis Number CS 071
1953 - 1959
Even as a small, specialty manufacturer Siata had assembled an
impressive dealer network in the United States. Ernie McAfee, John
Edgar, and Pavia & Co all sold Siatas in the early 1950s along with
Fergus Motors run by Tony Pompeo based at 444 West 55th Street in
New York, just a few blocks southwest of Columbus Circle in the
city. Research by the Eisenstark family reveals that 208CS chassis
number CS 071 was imported by Pompeo who, due to the low sales
volumes of such specialty cars also retailed Bandini, Stanguellini,
Abarth, Cisitalia, and an occasional Alfa Romeo and Maserati. It is
said that the well-liked Pompeo, with few exceptions, exclusively
imported competition cars. Bridgehampton founder Bruce Stevenson is
quoted as saying that Pompeo, "couldn't drive worth beans" so he
had others race the cars he imported and that's just what Robert
Grier did as the first owner of 071. Often paired with legendary
racer Rene Dreyfus, Grier likely entered 071 in the Floyd Bennett
Grand Prize Cup, a 100-lap race around the US Naval Air Station
located at Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field on 29 August 1953.
Finishing 18th out of 43 competitors that day, Grier later raced
the car at the Keene Mountain Hill Climb in Upstate New York
located about 15 miles from Lake Placid. According to the
Eisenstarks, ownership transferred to Russell G. Sceli, another
northeast racer of the period. Later, it is said that Alan R. Jones
obtained his SCCA competition license in CS 071 before going on to
drive a Porsche 356 Carrera in 1959 and 1960. With that, the
competition career of this coachbuilt Siata coupe came to a close,
but of course, as one door closes for a special car like this,
another quickly opens.
1959 - 2017
Long the admirer of the interesting and unusual, Dr. Julius
Eisenstark held a special affinity for European sports cars. At a
time when most of his neighbors were impressed by the largesse and
amenities of Detroit Iron, Eisenstark was a member of the local
sports car club. After briefly owning a Mercedes 300 SL "Gullwing"
coupe for a grand total of three days, he headed to place an order
for, of all vehicles, a new Renault Caravelle at Tri-Color Motors,
when he spotted CS 071, painted red sitting on the lot of a Queens
used car lot. The doctor's son, and current owner, Walter
Eisenstark recounts in Hemmings that it was "Love at first sight,"
with his father quickly purchasing the car the next day and
bringing it home on 12 September 1959. The younger Eisenstark
recalls that it had been treated like the competition special it
is, being driven hard on the track. With that, Eisenstark began a
multi-year evolution of his new Siata from a bare-bones race car
designed to be driven at ten-tenths to something closer to a
slightly more civil GT more appropriate for an evening out on the
town. Interior upholstery was added, and a heater with defrost and
additional engine cooling was installed for the rare 8V engine.
Another coat of Italy's national racing color was applied and when
the 2.0-liter threw a rod in 1966, the engine was rebuilt. In fact,
the younger Eisenstark explains that his father was more interested
in the mechanical aspects of his Siata than the cosmetic, although,
of course, the car was exhibited and shown, most notably at the
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1990 with it having passed to
Walter Eisenstark by that point. In a bit of Hollywood intrigue,
the car was selected to appear in an episode of Comedians in Cars
Getting Coffee driven by well-known automotive aficionado Jerry
Seinfeld with Steve Martin in the passenger seat.
2017 - Present
By the summer of 2017, motoring plans were in the front of mind and
the Siata was sent to Automotive Restorations Inc. of Stratford,
Connecticut for a service. During a test drive, a distracted driver
impacted the stationary Siata. Amazingly no one was hurt, but 071
was damaged, likely for the first time in 64 years. Plans were
quickly formed to not only repair the Siata but to return it to
show level condition in the colors with which it left Turin.
Naturally, the Siata was subject to a well-documented repair of its
original aluminum body and full restoration, for which a 35 page
file is available for review. It was thoroughly analyz...for more
information please contact the seller.
