While in the USA the Tipo 8 became glamorous and famous thanks to Rudolph Valentine and its part in the Sunset Boulevard film, Casalpusterlengo's firemen, 55km far from Milan, used to run on a bright Isotta Fraschini 8A with a fire engine installed on its front bumper...
Of course we are talking about Isotta Fraschini, the world-known luxury car manufacturer, the brand founded by Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo Fraschini in January 1900 which first equipped their masterpieces with four-wheel brakes and overhead camshaft and that in 1908 one of its cars set the new world record of average speed: 105 km/h.
But the history of this car has... something magic. It was the Second World War and in Milan, the Nazi troops were raking over all valuable goods. So the owner family, very rich indeed, decided to donate its jewel to the Firemen Brigade who transformed it into the most expesive firemen truck of the history.
For a few years the 8A has been used for real interventions among the bombed streets of Milan. While now you observe it at special venues, like today in Torino, for the National Gathering of the Italian Firemen.
copyright @ CCM
