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Fabbrica Automobili Isotta Fraschini Milano was founded in Milan in 1899 by Cesare Isotte and Vincenzo Fraschini.
Before you built your first car in 1903, Renault vehicles were assembled and sold.
Over the years the company developed more and more into a manufacturer of luxury vehicles. These were mentioned in the same breath with Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza. In the interwar period, Isotta Fraschini was one of the most expensive luxury car brands; the vehicles impressed with their enormous reliability, which was not a matter of course at the time.
Some of the customers were e.g. Greta Gabor, Rudolph Valentino, Henry Ford and the Vatican. Several famous races were also won with the company's vehicles.
In the First World War the car production was stopped and aircraft engines were manufactured.
Between the world wars, the economic situation became increasingly precarious and people bought fewer and fewer luxury cars. However, with the construction of aircraft engines, the company still had a second mainstay and also survived the global economic crisis.
In 1963, surprisingly, car production was completely stopped and trucks were built for the Italian army instead. Around the same time, trolleybuses and, under license, anti-aircraft guns from the Oerlikon company were built.
Since the factory facilities remained largely undamaged, a completely newly developed model appeared on the market as early as 1948.
However, series production could not be started, because of the high price only around 20 copies were made.
This ended automobile production in 1949.
The company ended its operations but was not removed from the commercial register.
In 1955 the brand was reactivated through a merger with the engine manufacturer Motori Breda. Industrial engines as well as small and medium-sized marine engines were manufactured. Furthermore, the company began to manufacture trolleybuses for the Milan transport company. In 1960 a diesel engine factory was then built in Bari.
In 1980 the company was then taken over by the marine engine manufacturer Fincantieri.
Since then, the company administration has been based in the old factories in Bari, while engines for industry, ships and railways are manufactured there and in Trieste. The Saronno plant still exists, but is almost no longer used. Many of the halls are empty and have now fallen into disrepair.
Before you built your first car in 1903, Renault vehicles were assembled and sold.
Over the years the company developed more and more into a manufacturer of luxury vehicles. These were mentioned in the same breath with Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza. In the interwar period, Isotta Fraschini was one of the most expensive luxury car brands; the vehicles impressed with their enormous reliability, which was not a matter of course at the time.
Some of the customers were e.g. Greta Gabor, Rudolph Valentino, Henry Ford and the Vatican. Several famous races were also won with the company's vehicles.
In the First World War the car production was stopped and aircraft engines were manufactured.
Between the world wars, the economic situation became increasingly precarious and people bought fewer and fewer luxury cars. However, with the construction of aircraft engines, the company still had a second mainstay and also survived the global economic crisis.
In 1963, surprisingly, car production was completely stopped and trucks were built for the Italian army instead. Around the same time, trolleybuses and, under license, anti-aircraft guns from the Oerlikon company were built.
Since the factory facilities remained largely undamaged, a completely newly developed model appeared on the market as early as 1948.
However, series production could not be started, because of the high price only around 20 copies were made.
This ended automobile production in 1949.
The company ended its operations but was not removed from the commercial register.
In 1955 the brand was reactivated through a merger with the engine manufacturer Motori Breda. Industrial engines as well as small and medium-sized marine engines were manufactured. Furthermore, the company began to manufacture trolleybuses for the Milan transport company. In 1960 a diesel engine factory was then built in Bari.
In 1980 the company was then taken over by the marine engine manufacturer Fincantieri.
Since then, the company administration has been based in the old factories in Bari, while engines for industry, ships and railways are manufactured there and in Trieste. The Saronno plant still exists, but is almost no longer used. Many of the halls are empty and have now fallen into disrepair.