Vehicle Description
Chassis No. CS057L
Engine No. CS023
Body No. 5001
In the early 1950s, Italy's SIATA (Societ� Italiana Auto
Trasformazioni Accessori) debuted its ambitious 208 model-a line of
sporting cars derived from Fiat's advanced 2.0-liter V8 "Otto Vu."
The 208 was intended as a halo car for Siata, offered in both open
208S Spider and closed 208CS coupe forms, with various local
coachbuilders including Motto, Vignale, and Stabilimenti Farina
fashioning elegant aluminum bodies for each bespoke example. But
perhaps the most attractive design ever to grace the 208 chassis
was the one-off 2+2 Berlinetta crafted by Bertone.
The aftermath of World War II had left Italy's industrial landscape
in turmoil, with legendary names like Vignale, Bertone, Michelotti,
Scaglietti, and Zagato grappling with severe inflation and supply
shortages. It was amid this economic uncertainty that the 1951
Geneva Salon saw Carrozzeria Bertone take a calculated risk,
acquiring two MG TD chassis to showcase their coachbuilding
expertise. The resulting creations-one coupe and one
convertible-were enough to capture the attention of charismatic
American industrialist Stanley Harold "Wacky" Arnolt II, cutting an
unmistakable silhouette in his Stetson hat and cowboy boots, who
approached Nuccio Bertone with a proposition-to purchase both show
cars on the spot and commission an additional 200 units.
Having effectively saved Bertone from bankruptcy, Arnolt purchased
a stake in the Italian coachbuilder, joined its Board of Directors,
and arranged the manufacture of Bertone-bodied Arnolt-MGs to be
sold out of his Chicago dealership. Over the next several years,
Arnolt leveraged his Bertone connections to body chassis ranging
from the Aston Martin DB2/4 to the Bentley R Type Continental, and
most famously, the Bristol 404-series chassis.
Arguably the ultimate outcome of this transatlantic partnership was
this Bertone-bodied Siata 208CS 2+2 Berlinetta, chassis number
CS057L, ordered by Arnolt as a one-off showpiece to be displayed at
the 1952 Paris Salon. Bertone's design chief at the time, the
talented Franco Scaglione, was tasked with styling the singular 2+2
grand touring Berlinetta, built on a special long-wheelbase Siata
chassis (extended by 200 mm to a 2700-mm wheelbase, earning the
designation 208CS Lungo). The hand-formed, one-of-one aluminum
body-assigned Bertone body number 5001-in some respects resembled
an elongated version of the Michelotti-penned Arnolt-MG, but with a
larger greenhouse and numerous bespoke details. The lower driving
lights were suspended within hollow cut-outs framed by delicate
chrome bezels, while the pronounced tail fins flowed into
jewel-like chrome stacked taillight clusters. The interior was
equally special, featuring a beautiful bespoke dashboard with a
wooden inlay framing the Smiths instrumentation on the driver's
side, and a padded, leather-trimmed dash and grab handle facing the
passenger.
According to the seminal book on Siatas, OttoVu Volume II: Siata
derivata Fiat by Tony Adriaensens' Corsa Research, chassis CS057L
was originally finished in two-tone yellow and brown-an
eye-catching combination that surely accentuated its curvaceous
Bertone lines. In October 1952, it debuted on Bertone's stand at
the Paris Auto Salon alongside Europe's finest to announce the
burgeoning partnership between Siata, Bertone, and Arnolt. The
following Spring, Arnolt brought the car to America for the 1953
New York International Motor Sports Show, where it was again a
highlight. Thousands of showgoers in New York admired the car's
continental flair-it was low-slung, luxurious, and
exclusive-perfectly in keeping with Arnolt's strategy to entice
wealthy U.S. buyers.
Following its show circuit debut, the 208CS was delivered new to
Stanley Arnolt's company in Chicago-with Adriaensens listing the
original owner as S.H. Arnolt-and shortly thereafter it was sold to
its first private owner. Arnolt sold the car to Stuart Sherman of
Illinois, marking the beginning of a long period of American
stewardship. In 1954, the Berlinetta passed through a Chicago
Volkswagen dealer to Roy F. Thoresen of Minnesota. Thoresen became
the car's longest-term caretaker, cherishing the Siata for over 30
years and preserving it in largely original condition from the
mid-1950s until 1989.
In 1989, the 208CS finally changed hands when it was acquired by
Tim Ritter, who later passed it to prominent collector Peter Sachs.
After some years with the car, Sachs sold the car to Walter
Eisenstark of Yorktown Heights, New York, who commenced a
concours-quality restoration of the car in its current blue and
yellow color scheme. The car's significance and exceptional
restoration were recognized when it was selected for display at the
54th Pebble Beach Concours and Tour d'Elegance in 2004, where
crowds were treated to the same dramatic sight that wowed audiences
in Paris and New York over half a century earlier.
After spending time in a renowned Belgian collection, the Siata
returned to the U.S. where it joined the current owner's collection
in 2019. Under his care, CS057L has been elevated to an even higher
level of finish. The interior has been re-trimmed to a concours
standard, with fresh tan hides, carpets, and chromed trim details
all being expertly refitted to echo the original bespoke finishes.
Significant mechanical work was also overseen by the 8V specialists
at The Pit Stop of Brisbane, California, including rebuilding the
transmission, overhauling the cylinder heads with new valves and
guides, as well as rebuilding the distributor and the carburetors.
A new exhaust was fabricated and the brakes were likewise renewed,
after which the Siata was subject to a careful tuning process to
ensure its poised road manners. In 2022, the car once again graced
the Pebble Beach show field, participating in the 71st Concours and
Tour d'Elegance where it was featured in the dedicated Otto Vu
class.
This spectacular 208CS 2+2 Bertone Berlinetta stemmed from a bold
partnership between Italian design and American ingenuity, yielding
a one-of-a-kind grand tourer with show-stopping looks. From its
Franco Scaglione-penned lines to its Fiat 8V heart, and from its
Paris Salon debut through decades of devoted stewardship, CS057L
embodies the pinnacle of 1950s bespoke motoring. Presented today in
stunning restored form-complete with its original, matching-numbers
engine-this SIATA represents an unrepeatable opportunity to show or
tour a singular example of 1950s Italian coachbuilding
artistry.
