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Siata 208 CS - beautiful rarity for racing and road use from Italy

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Created on June 18, 2011

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

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Martin Schröder

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Archiv

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Bruno von Rotz

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Martin Schröder

3

Archiv

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Siata 400 F (1953) - elegantly curved rear end

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Siata 400 F (1953) - beautiful lines of this Balbo coupé

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Siata 400 F Berlinetta (1953) at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2011

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - Illustration from the 1953 sales brochure

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - exhibited at the 1953 Geneva Motor Show

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - Coupé version

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Siata 400 F (1953) - this vehicle is probably the exhibition vehicle from Geneva 1953 and the Turin Salon of the same year

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Siata 208 CS (1952) - Coupé at an exhibition

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - the coupé, exhibited among other rarities

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Siata 400 F Berlinetta (1953) at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2011

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - Factory photo

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Siata 400 F (1953) - Simon Kidston reviews the Siata at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este

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Siata 400 F Berlinetta (1953) at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2011

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Siata 400 F (1953) - the roofline is higher compared to earlier coupés

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Siata 400 F (1953) - elegant silhouette

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Siata 208 CS (1952) - Rol brought the Siata to the finish line in 11th place in the 1952 Mille Miglia

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Siata 208 CS (1952) - Rol with Mumaron at the 1952 Mille Miglia - the result was eleventh place at the end of the race

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - Coupé with racing ambitions - Postcard from Siata

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Siata 208 CS (1952) - Bernabei / Pacini at the 1952 Mille Miglia

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - Ceccaroni at the 1953 Sestriere Rally

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Siata 400 F (1953) - hardly any ornamentation - simple elegance

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Siata 400 F Berlinetta (1953) at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2011

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Siata 208 S (1952) - chassis design with the Fiat 8-cylinder engine

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Siata 208 S (1953) at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2011

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Siata 208 S (1953) with Fiat eight-cylinder engine at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2011

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Siata 208 S (1952) - Viginale Spyder in Turin 1952

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - the open version, exhibited in Turin 1953 - Interior

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - the open version, exhibited in Turin in 1953

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - the open version, exhibited in Turin in 1953

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Siata 400 F (1953) - Interior seen from the passenger side

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Siata 400 F (1953) - Interior

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Interior of the Siata 400 F Berlinetta (1953) at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2011

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Siata 400 F (1953) - lightweight construction made visible on the door

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - Geneva Motor Show 1953 - Lightweight construction at Siata

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Siata 400 F (1953) - Engine compartment seen from the left

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Siata 400 F (1953) - Engine compartment seen from the right

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Siata 400 F (1953) - the Siata trademark

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Siata 400 F (1953) - the innovative folding headlights

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - Geneva Motor Show 1953 - Sleeping eyes on the Siata - here almost closed

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - Geneva Motor Show 1953 - Sleepy eyes on the Siata - open

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Siata 208 S (1953) - Sketch of the seats

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Siata 208 CS (1953) - the Siata Coupé next to a Spider at the 1953 Geneva Motor Show

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Siata 208 S (1953) - Motto Competizione Coupé - custom-made for Jack Mc Afee on platform frame for the Carrera Panamericana - taken at Tony Krivanek in Los Angeles

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Siata 208 S (1953) - Motto Competizione Coupé, taken in 1986 in LA with Tony Krivanek

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Siata 208 S (1953) - special version for the Carrera Panamericana (BS 235) - Motto Competizione Coupé

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Siata 208 S (1954) - the Bertone coupé at an exhibition

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Siata 208 S (1953) - Spyder Due Posti - the name given to the vehicle on the Siata postcard

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Siata 208 S (1952) - Spyder Due Posti - Postcard from Siata

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Siata 400 F Berlinetta (1953) at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2011

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Siata 400 F (1953) - Side window

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Siata 400 F (1953) - Door opener

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Summary

Between 1952 and 1953, Siata built around 24 vehicles on a tubular frame chassis, the Type 208 CS. The majority of these vehicles were clad as coupés and featured a very advanced streamlined design with folding headlights. The engine came from the Fiat 8V (Otto Vu) and had 122 hp in its most powerful form. Siata's successful participation in the 1952 Mille Miglia and its success on the American market seemed to herald a successful future, but Fiat abandoned the eight-cylinder series too early and American interest waned. What remained were beautiful coupés and Spiders, which today fetch high six-figure prices at auctions.

This article contains the following chapters

Siata, the unknown quantity
The opportunity with the eight-cylinder
Advanced and lightweight design
Many coachbuilders
Use at the Mille Miglia
No two are the same
More comfort for the racing car
Not fast enough?
Robust basic nature
Expensive, expensive at its most expensive
Complete list of chassis numbers
Further information

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Many small-series sports cars were derived from vehicles that were built in large series or at least adopted the technical components of "large-series products". The Siata 208 CS, however, must be seen as a derivative of the Fiat 8V (Otto Vu) , albeit a distant one, which itself was only produced in 114 units. As far as is known today, the Siata 208 CS was only produced 24 times, truly a rarity. "Societa Italiana Auto Transformazioni Accessori", or Siata for short, was a small but excellent car manufacturer and tuning parts manufacturer founded in Turin in 1926 by Giorgio Ambrosini. From the very beginning, the company optimized Fiat automobiles and offered tuning parts for Fiat models.

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