This Stunning Prototype Was Close to Being Ford's First True Sports Car | Carscoops

      The Cisitalia 808XF combined Italian aesthetics with Ford V8 power during the early 1950s, but Dearborn ultimately concluded that the project was too costly to pursue.

      

       16 hours ago

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

       by Chris Chilton

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      The Cisitalia 808XF was a unique vehicle created in collaboration with Ford in the 1950s.

      It blended Italian design with parts from Ford and Mercury.

      Ford ultimately withdrew from the project due to expenses, leading to its abrupt cancellation.

      

      The automotive industry is filled with ventures that quietly faded away in boardrooms, but there’s one that you might not be aware of. Known as the Cisitalia 808XF and set to be auctioned this month, it emerged from a partnership between Italian and American interests that nearly introduced European GT elegance to Ford’s dealerships in the US long before the De Tomaso Pantera arrived.

      

      

      The origins of this project trace back to 1951 when Henry Ford II, who was said to be a fan of the Cisitalia 202, agreed to investigate a partnership with the Turin-based manufacturer.

      The plan was to merge sophisticated Italian design with commonly available Ford engineering to create a chic and accessible sports car for the American market, which was increasingly drawn to MGs and Jaguars.

      

      

      

      

      Envision a blend of European flair, American practicality, and V8 power.

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      Cisitalia took the lead on the prototype's development. The 808XF – named for its X-shaped chassis and Ford-derived powertrain – featured a bespoke chassis designed by Giovanni Savonuzzi, who also crafted the elegant fixed-roof coupe body produced by Ghia.

      Under the hood lies a 255.6-cubic-inch (4.2-liter) Mercury flathead V8, equipped with twin Holley carburetors and paired with a Ford three-speed manual transmission.

      Ultimately too costly

      

      

      

      

      

      On paper, the concept appeared promising, and in reality, it impressed visually. However, when the completed car was sent to the US in 1952 for assessment, the situation changed.

      Ford's engineers and financial analysts determined that the production costs were prohibitively high, making the project unfeasible, and even two additional prototypes, now with Vignale bodies, couldn’t alter the decision of the executives. The green light was never granted.

      Instead of becoming the first Italian-bodied Ford sports car in America, the 808XF was advertised in Road & Track Magazine for $7,500 and later showcased at the 1953 International Motorsports Show in New York.

      It eventually became part of long-term private ownership, remaining out of the public eye for decades before undergoing a thorough restoration that returned it to its original metallic blue hue and accurate period details.

      

      

      A family heirloom

      

      

      

      BaT

      Today, the vehicle serves as both a design artifact and an engineering curiosity, merging Ford's suspension and braking systems with custom Italian craftsmanship and luxurious details. Remarkably, the same family has owned it since 1960, with the current caretaker having it for the last 48 years.

      Although Ford eventually stepped away from the 808XF, the idea of a sporty GT supported by robust Detroit-sourced mechanics did not vanish.

      From 1955 onward, Ford achieved significant success with the Thunderbird, which was much cheaper to produce than the 808XF would have been. In the early 1970s, Ford supplied V8 engines for the Italian-made De Tomaso Pantera supercar, even selling it through its Lincoln-Mercury dealerships until quality concerns prompted Ford to withdraw in 1975.

      You can find the complete auction listing for the stunning Cisitalia on Bring a Trailer.