1952 Siata Daina SL Sport Berlinetta by Boano

Siata initially sold performance parts to modify and tune cars manufactured by Fiat. After World War II, the company began making its own sports cars under the Siata brand until its eventual bankruptcy following the first Arab oil embargo in the mid-1970s.

SIATA’s Daina model of the early 1950s was based on the FIAT 1400 and built primarily in Convertible and Coupé forms, most of the former being bodied by Stabilimenti Farina and the latter by Bertone. Later cars were designated ‘SL’ (Scatolato Lamiera – literally: sheet metal box).

The Daina could be had with a 1.4L, 1.5L or 1.8L overhead valve I4 engine, all of which were sourced from Fiat. It featured independent front suspension and a live rear axle with coil springs all around, as well as 4-wheel drum brakes. It could be had with either a 4-speed or 5-speed manual gearbox.

From 1950 to 1958 there were approximately 50 Daina Series cars produced. About 20 Daina Sport (coupes) are thought to have been built, only six are known to exist today. There was also a cabriolet version called the Gran Sport, which had a steel body with an aluminum hood designed by Stabilimenti Farina. 3 all aluminum bodied Gran Sports were made as well. When Stabilimenti Farina closed in 1953, Bertone took over production with a coupe model of their own design called the "Sport". (wikipedia & bonhams.com)

1952 Siata Daina SL Sport Berlinetta by Boano

Chassis no. SL.0201.S

A 1.5L unit was  fitted to this car, which also boasts a five-speed gearbox. The coachwork is believed to be by Boano and no similar Daina is known to exist. It has been used for a number of prestigious historic motoring events (bonhams.com)

(Photos from bonhams.com, powerful-cars.com & autotitre.com)

1953 Fiat 8V Boano Coupe Ghia

The Fiat 8V model, or Otto Vu in Italian, was built for just two years with a total of 114 examples produced. The 8V wasn't a commercial success, but did well in racing. They were the star of the Geneva Salon in March of 1952 and remains one of the marque's most legendary motor cars to this day. Road & Track called it “the biggest surprise of the year”.

The car would come with a 2.0-liter 70 degree V8. Combined with dual Weber carburetors the engine could produce 110 hp. The engine was connected to a four speed gearbox. The car had independent suspension all round and drum brakes on all four wheels.

While Fiat themselves did not race the 8V, the cars often found their way to owners who would. It was Elio Zagato, the coachbuilder’s son, who really put the 8V on the map. His success in competition was so great that a steady clientele for Zagato 8Vs developed. Around 30 of the 114 Fiat 8Vs were clothed by Zagato.

The potent new powerplant also had bodies designed by other world’s finest coachbuilders. Aside from the Zagato-bodied 8Vs, Pinin Farina produced a coupe version that debuted at Geneva in 1955. No less than fifteen 8Vs left Ghia’s facilities wearing custom coachwork, and 14 of those boasted “Supersonic” coachwork, which was penned by Giovanni Savonuzzi. The fifteenth of those 8Vs was unique in that it was graced with a body designed by Mario Boano.

Chassis number 000042, a 1953 model, was sold new to Ghia on June 10, 1953, and the completed car left Ghia’s facility five months later. The car shows several design cues found on Chryslers that had been designed by Virgil Exner, who was known to work with Ghia in this era and to produce auto show cars for Chrysler.

Admittedly more subtle than the Supersonic, this 8V has the “concentrical” 8V oval mouth grille, which is adorned succinctly with twin horizontal bars. The Ghia “kickup” in the rear wing is muted, but the C pillar treatment displays hints of the d’Elegance style. The car itself displays exquisite Italian craftsmanship in the finest sense. The instrument panel, which has been painted bright red, holds matching white-on-red gauges and a symmetrical half-moon speedometer and tachometer in a binnacle in front of the driver, while the clock and fuel and oil pressure gauges sit in the center of the dash.

It was sold for $946,000 at the 2014 RM Auctions. (conceptcarz.com, wikipedia)

(Photos from conceptcarz.com, rmauctions, autowp.ru, coachbuild.com, flickr.com)