A surprising disruption: 1954 Siata 208S Spider readies for New York City auction stage

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 | 10 Nov 2015

Stunning from every angle, this race-winning chassis coupled with striking aluminum coachwork took the American sports car racing community by storm in the 1950s, proving highly competitive against its brute force rivals. The final example of 33 Motto-bodied 208S Spiders built, its original, matching-numbers Fiat Tipo 104 alloy V8 and recent authentic restoration make the Siata an opportunity not to be ignored when it crosses RM Sotheby’s Driven by Disruption podium in New York City, 10 December.

A SENSATIONAL NEW ITALIAN SPORTS CAR

Befitting of a sale focused on significant contributions throughout motoring history, the Siata 208S of the mid-1950s represented a milestone in automotive concept and practice, itself the amalgamation of multiple innovations. For one, the company Siata was a longstanding tuning specialist rather than a traditional manufacturing concern. This made the Societa Italiana Auto Transformazioni Accessori a qualified disruption to the business of more established brands like Ferrari and Maserati.

Furthermore, the 208S was powered by Fiat’s alloy Tipo 104 engine, an unusual two-litre 70-degree V8 that had been responsible for driving the Turinese manufacturer’s premium Otto Vu Fiat sports car to competition victories across Europe. Only approximately 200 examples of this V8 engine were made, and when production ceased on the Otto Vu model at about 114 cars, most of the remaining motors were bestowed to Siata (a contractor in the Otto Vu’s build process). 

Nearly eight years before Carroll Shelby’s Cobra set the racing world afire with a mass-production V8 installed in a lightweight aluminum roadster, Siata created a giant killer in 1953 with the alloy-bodied 208S Spider equipped with a high-torque V8 mated to an advanced five-speed transmission. The open coachwork was penned by Giovanni Michelotti and built by Carrozzeria Motto, a freelance coachbuilder in Turin. With upright rear shoulder flares and a long front deck, the coachwork was a breathtaking evolution of the classic barchetta.

Despite being produced in such a sparing quantity (Motto built just 33 spiders along with the two prototypes by Bertone), the 208S was a marked disruption to the SCCA competition establishment. It surprised more established Italian brands at the races while demonstrating that a small tuning company could deliver cutting-edge chassis specifications, like four-wheel independent suspension and connected steering, at a competitive price.

As such, the marvlously engineered 208S was to become a consummate force in its primary purpose: competitive road racing in the popular under two-litre class. It soon became capable of winning SCCA races, and was often seen as a cover car for California racing programs in the early 1950s. Actor and noted enthusiast Steve McQueen even entered a Siata in the 1958 Palm Springs Road Races; he called it “my little Ferrari.” 

CHASSIS NUMBER BS 535

The 208S Spider slated for RM Sotheby’s New York sale is one of the finest examples extant, with two long-term periods of custody and recent attention from marque experts on its CV. The final example of the Motto-bodied V-8 Spider in the production sequence, it features a rare factory-equipped five-speed transmission that delivers taller final gearing and corresponding top speed. The car was purchased in 1954 by an unidentified enthusiast in Italy, who imported it to the United States the following year. In the spring of 1956, the beautiful Spider was sold to Fred Celce of Massachusetts, a US Air Force pilot who flew F-100 Super Sabre jets from bases in both the U.S. and the U.K. while on patrol during the Cold War. After 12 years with Celce, the car passed through a well-documented chain of collectors, including a period of 27 years in single ownership prior to purchase by its current custodian. In 1982, it was the subject of a three-year restoration by the highly respected Epifani Restorations of Berkeley, California. The Siata returned to Epifani after purchase by the current owner for a concours-level refinish to original specifications, a project completed in the summer of 2011.

Since then, chassis BS 535 has been awarded top accolades at some of the world’s most prestigious concours events, including Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este, Amelia Island, and the Kuwait Concours d'Elegance. Remarkably well-documented, it comes to auction with its original matching-numbers engine and is accompanied by an extensive history file. As a world-class collectible, it is the epitome of ground-breaking innovation coupled with stunning elegance, offering impeccable standards in rarity, design, and quality detailing – an Italian automotive jewel.

The Siata – estimated to fetch $1,500,000-1,900,000 – is one of 31 creatively-styled and pioneering motor cars set for RM Sotheby’s Driven by Disruption auction, 10 December at Sotheby’s New York City headquarters. Each auction vehicle showcases the extremes of motoring history and the moulds that were broken by engineers and designers in pushing the automotive envelope. As a prelude to the auction, an exclusive six-day exhibition will open over the weekend of 5 December in Sotheby’s 10th floor galleries.

To view a full list of entries handpicked for RM Sotheby’s New York sale, along with complete event details, please visit www.rmsothebys.com