Were there two Martini & Rossi Isotta Fraschini's?

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When we received this picture of an Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A with special ‘marketing mobile’ body to promote Martini & Rossi vermouth, we were sure we had seen it before. We weren’t totally wrong but weren’t totally right either. Pictures of a similar promotional vehicle had come by before and the Old Motor even wrote about it in 2014, showing its different guises (here).

According to the article that particular car was sold as a Berlinetta in 1931 to a mister Willy Dombre, who ran the hotel Villa d’Este, which I’m sure you will all know well. He didn’t enjoy it very long though, as the car was sold locally only a year later. Another four years passed when Count Rossi of Martini & Rossi fame came into the picture. He supposedly became the third owner of this 7.4-litre Isotta Fraschini beauty and sent it to Carrozzeria Viotti to turn it into an eye-catching coupe with an aerodynamic finned body and all the bells and whistles to promote his Martini & Rossi drinks. Next, it is believed to have been used until the early 1950s, when the Viotti body was shortened, modified and placed on a 1937 Lincoln Zephyr V12. This car survived.

Now, over to the picture that was sent to us. It’s said to be an Isotta Fraschini Martini & Rossi promotional vehicle and is certainly looking like one. There’s no doubt that there are similarities between the other car  (our second picture) and this one, as there can also be no doubt that it is altogether very different. Wheelbase and overall shapes seem the same, but apart from that there is an awful lot of difference - you name it. So… is this the same car in an earlier or later guise? Or is it an altogether different (sister) car? We’d love to find out.

Words by Jeroen Booij. Pictures wheelsage.org / archive.

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