Rare Car Archive

Makes › Isotta Fraschini Italy › Tipo › Tipo 8B · Rare production · 1931 Ultra Rare

Isotta Fraschini
Tipo 8B

Final Isotta Fraschini eight-cylinder luxury chassis, all coachbuilt

Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.

Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8B (Wikimedia Commons: Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8B)
Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8B (Wikimedia Commons: Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8B)
Photo: tomislav medak · CC BY-SA 2.0
30BuiltIndependently researched
0Chassis documentedin this archive
3SurvivingIndependently researched
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
30 Built
Years
1931
Engine
7,400.1 cc / 7.4 LFactory: 451.58 cu in · converted
Power
119 kW / 162 PSFactory: 160 hp · converted
Top speed
Not yet verified
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Not yet verified
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
3 (independently researched)

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The Tipo 8B is very rare. A restored 1931 Viggo Jensen cabriolet, one of only three known survivors, won best of show at Pebble Beach in 1995.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityUltra Rare 30 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed 3 · Surviving2

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model production"considered one of only three existing Tipo 8B's" per the New York Times, 2002 32 Surviving examples Independently researched
Total model productionTipo 8B chassis produced (page: "Isotta produced 30 examples of the Fraschini Tipo 8B in 1931") 301 Factory production Independently researched

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Isotta Fraschini introduced the Tipo 8B in 1931 as a more powerful development of the Tipo 8A with a four-speed gearbox. It was meant to boost sales of expensive cars during the Depression, but car production at the company virtually ceased by 1932. A 1931 Tipo 8B with Viggo Jensen cabriolet coachwork that won Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 1995 was offered at Christie's in 2002 as one of only three existing 8Bs.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard Tipo 8B.

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutNot yet verified
Displacement 7,400.1 cc / 7.4 LFactory: 451.58 cu in · converted3 Independently researched
BoreNot yet verified
StrokeNot yet verified
Compression ratioNot yet verified
Fuel systemNot yet verified
Power 119 kW / 162 PSFactory: 160 hp · converted3 Independently researchedFrom the 1931 Tipo 8B row of a spec table. The same row gives a 145.60 in wheelbase.
Power atNot yet verified
TorqueNot yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxFour-speed transmission (manual or auto not stated)4 Independently researched
Gears45 Independently researched
Driven wheelsNot yet verified

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionNot yet verified
BrakesNot yet verified
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
Wheelbase 3,698 mmFactory: 145.6 in · converted3 Independently researched
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speedNot yet verified
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Conceptcarz – Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8B Level C
    • 30 Tipo 8B chassis produced (page: "Isotta produced 30 examples of the Fraschini Tipo 8B in 1931")
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  2. 2
    Driving Cars to Hang on a Wall Level C Keith Martin · The New York Times · 2002-05-17
    • one of only three existing Tipo 8B's
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  3. 3
    1928 Isotta Fraschini 8A SS Level C conceptcarz.com
    • 451.58 CID.
    • 160.00hp
    • 145.60 in.
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  4. 4
    1924 - 1931 Isotta Fraschini 8A Castagna Torpedo Level C Ultimatecarpage.com · 2005-10-17
    • equipped with a four speed transmission
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  5. 5
    Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Level C supercars.net
    • In 1931 a more powerful Tipo 8B was introduced, equipped with a four speed transmission
    Accessed 2026-11-13

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