1953 Siata 208 CS (more pics below 👇)
Siata developed the chassis that formed the basis of its 208 CS after Fiat ended production of the sensational 8V sports car.
When Fiat concluded the program, approximately 85 surplus 8V engines returned to the Turin tuning specialist, creating an opportunity to build its own competition-oriented sports cars around the advanced all-aluminum powerplant.
Just 18 examples of the 208 CS berlinetta were constructed from 1952 through 1954, with 11 receiving coachwork from Balbo and seven from Stabilimenti Farina.
The Balbo design stood out as perhaps the most elegant interpretation, with flowing lines and hand-formed aluminum panels that reflected contemporary Ferrari styling cues.
Siata’s tubular ladder chassis featured independent front suspension with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers, while the rear used a live axle located by semi-elliptic leaf springs.
The 1,996 cc 70-degree V-8 produced 125 horsepower at 6,000 rpm with twin Weber carburetors, though output reached approximately 140 horsepower when fitted with a hotter camshaft and triple carburetors. Power transferred through a four-speed manual gearbox.
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