1911 Isotta Fraschini Tipo PM Restoration

Winner at Pebble Beach
– Restored from original chassis and body
– High Quality, wonderful Car!

About the 1911 Isotta Fraschini Tipo PM
The Isotta-Fraschini was Italy’s prestige car. Rolls-Royce (Britain), the Hispano-Suiza (France), and the Isotta-Fraschini were rivals, each laying its claim to the ‘best car in the world’ title. Isotta-Fraschini was founded in Milan in 1898. A twin-cylinder model was on offer in 1902, which was quickly followed by a range of four-cylinder cars built along Mercedes lines. Designer Giustino Cattaneo joined the company in 1905 and over the next three years introduced nine new models to replace the earlier models. His first designs were all four-cylinder models, one of which would form the basis of Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin’s first ‘Aston Martin’ special of 1914. Production expanded and by 1906 Isotta-Fraschini was second only to FIAT among Italian manufacturers (though a long way behind).

Despite the scepticism of many, Isotta introduced front-wheel brakes on some of its production cars for 1911 and by 1914 they were standard on its larger models, making Isotta-Fraschini the first motor manufacturer to produce a commercially viable front-wheel braking system.

The company made a name for itself in racing competition, having continued success for many years. In June 1902 Oreste Fraschini took 2nd place in the Sassi-Superga hill climb while five years later the marque scored a resounding victory in the tough Coppa Florio race and also won the Briarcliff Trophy. In 1908 Isotta-Fraschini won the Briarcliff again and took 2nd place in the Vanderbilt Cup. Their car also won at Lowell, Long Island and Savannah, and Isottas were the highest-placed four-cylinder racers in the Coupe des Voiturettes. In 1913 three Isotta-Fraschinis were entered in the Indianapolis 500 race, becoming the first cars with four-wheel brakes to compete in that event.

1911 Isotta Fraschini Tipo PM Gallery

About Laidlaw Classic Automotive Restoration & Sales

While Laidlaw Classic Automotive Restoration & Sales has primarily specialized in Brass Era Vehicles, we also have extensive experience with vehicles of any age. Our portfolio spans three generations of fine auto restoration and some of the most elegant vehicles to win the Concours. Vehicles we’ve restored can be found in all corners of the globe, and we are well-known within the industry for providing services for the most discriminating attention to detail. We enjoy our work, and the vehicles we work on, and personally own several brass era and steam cars.

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