Siata ST446BC

Overview

A recent Barn find for a car that was long forgotten. It is now in restoration in Belgium

  • Blue and white
  • Fiat
  • Year Model 1954
  • Motto Bodywork

History

Car Description

Gooding & Company 2021, Pebble Beach Auction

According to Italian car historian John de Boer, this stunning Siata 300 BC was originally purchased from importer Tony Pompeo in 1955 by Don Black of Oak Park, Michigan, who later became the technical director of Alfa Romeo USA. Mr. Black drove it from New York to Detroit, indicating that it was delightful on the drive. He mostly ran Michigan sprints, time trials, and hill climbs, with five 1st places, two 3rd places, and one DNF. Copies of period racing photos are on file, including of its race at the Put-in-Bay in Ohio. In 1957, the Siata appeared in an in-depth article in Sports Car Illustrated by Karl Ludvigsen and then passed among a handful of American enthusiasts. It was sold around 1985 to noted collector Bill Jacobs and then, in 1988, to Tony and Lulu Wang. The Siata was next owned by Ferrari collector Jeffrey Mamorsky of Greenwich, Connecticut, and shown at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in 2009 where it won Best Italian Sports Car 1946–1956. It was displayed at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, received First in Class at the St. Michaels Concours in 2013, Second in Class at the Amelia Island Concours in 2014, and First in Class at the Pinehurst Concours in 2015. The Siata is desirably equipped with finned-alloy drum brakes and a tuned 1,100 cc Fiat engine featuring an Abarth induction system and twin Weber carburetors. Eligible for events worldwide, including Mille Miglia Storica, 300 BC Spiders do not often come to market. It would be difficult to find another in this condition with such excellent provenance and racing history.

Ownership History

Owner Name and location Timeline and details
Tony Pompeo, NY, USA 1954
Don Black, MI, USA 1954 - 1956
Walter W. Bailey - Huntsville, AL, USA 1956
Fred Trueman – CA, USA 1957 - 1961
Bob Grimm - CA, USA 1961
Jim Proffitt - CA, USA 1961
Bill Jacobs – IL, USA 1985 - 1988
Tony & Lulu C. Wang - NY, USA 1988 - ????
Jim Collins – VT, USA 2007
Bill Lightfoot - USA 2013
Enrique Landa – CA, USA 2021

Racing

Race Driver Racing number Result
Putin Bay Races 09/06/1956 Don Black #37 N/A
British Empire Motor Club Sports Car Races 16/06/1956 Don Black #43 N/A
Harewood Acres Car Races 04/08/1956 Don Black #43 N/A
Courtland Sports Car Race 07/07/1957 Walter Bailey #60 N/A
Gainesville GA 06/10/1957 Walter Bailey #60 N/A
Courtland Sports Car Race 31/08/1958 Walter Bailey #60 N/A

Auctions

Auction Date Price
Gooding & Company, The Pebble Beach auction 2021/08/14 218 400 $