Information
- Acceptable to the main concourse d’elegance
- Rare car. One of the 15 known surviving cars
- Designed by Felice Mario Boano
- Thorough restoration of body, interiors and mechanical parts
- Investment: very sought-after by collectors. Quotations are always increasing
- · A delightful car to drive
Certifications and Statements
ASI (Targa Oro)
Documents
Not registered. It has the documents for re-registration.
Eligibility
ASI (Targa Oro)
Documents
Not registered. It has the documents for re-registration.
Eligibility
- Mille Miglia. Eligible. Eligible on the Special List
- Giro di Sicilia. Eligible.
- Targa Florio. Eligible.
- Goodwood Revival. Eligible
- Tour Auto. Eligible
- Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti. Eligible.
- Vernasca Silver Flag. Eligible.
- California Mille: Eligible.
- Nürburgring Classic. Eligible.
- Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Eligible.
- Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Eligible.
- Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille. Eligible.
- Concorso d’eleganza Villa D’Este. Eligible.
Provenance
The Model
In 1926, Giorgio Ambrosini founded in Turin the S.I.A.T.A. (Società Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori) company to produce racing kits for Fiat engines, special gearboxes and superchargers. In 1937, Ambrosini took over Andrea Mantelli’s Carrozzeria Italiana and started the construction of cars.The Daina is a SIATA model produced from 1950 to 1954; a GranTurismo sold from 1950 to 1952 both in its coupé body and its convertible version, with a front end fitted with a line and a radiator grille like the Lancia and MG coeval models. In 1952, the Gran Sport body was introduced, available both in its spider and coupé versions. Until 1953, most of the bodies were built by Giovanni Farina (founder of the Stabilimenti Farina body shop, which went bankrupt in 1953), while the last cars received Bertone bodies. The car was based on heavily modified Fiat 1400 mechanics. The chassis was reinforced and shortened while the engine was developed with a new head, new manifolds, carburettors and in some cases Abarth exhaust systems.The cars were later named SL (literary Scatola di lamiera, aluminium box)Collectors liked the car for its line, a typical example of Italian style with a sober taste, and the pleasant and comfortable driving. Top collectors vastly appreciate it, but there is very little availability as a result of the craft-nature of its production. According to Ambrosini, 120 Daina cars were produced in total, of which fifty with the first designed bodywork, including both coupes and convertibles. The production’s scarcity caused quite a rise in the car’s quotations.The carThe chassis no. SL0194 is a trasformabile (convertible) SL model. According to historians, worldwide only 15 known exemplars survived.
The car
The Stabilimenti Farina built the bodywork no. 9572, in full aluminium, except for the doors.It is believed that the 1st owner, in 1952, was an (unknown) Austrian earl. The car was later, in 1957, exhibited in a Parisian concessionaire. In the same year, the car was bought by Winthrop A. Eastman. The owner used SL0194, then resident in Spain, to follow motor racing races in Europe as Race Director. In this period, the engine parts (valve cover, oil filter, pipes) were chrome-plated. Eastman took the car to the USA on his return in the 1960s. The car went then to D. Johnson, son of Herb Johnson of the “Herb’s Garage”. While in his possession, the front of the car was damaged in a collision. By May 1968, the SL0194 was bought for $200,00 by Dean Nystrom in Minnesota. According to him, the engine was not running well. Therefore the engine was disassembled as he could not find gaskets for the original engine. Nystrom purchased a wrecked Mustang early in 1969 and fitted the Ford 289 engine to the Siata but kept the original engine and transmission that were sold later with the car. Nystrom kept the SL0194 until the early 70s. He sold it via the Minneapolis Sunday paper to a gravedigger for $ 700,00. The car remained with the gravedigger and his brother for several years before it disappeared. According to Gary Schultz, it stayed in Carolina for several years, probably in the backyard of a body shop. The car presented by then front damages, the V8 engine and a worn red paint over the previous brown. In 2003, the SL0194 was listed on eBay, then owned by James Brown in North Carolina from 2003 to 2005, afterwards owned by Jerry Bensinger in Ohio and Michael Gue in Georgia. The car was listed for sale on March 2006 for $16.000; the car crossed back the ocean to come in the hands of Joop Stolze in the Netherlands in 2007. Stoltze Classic – Joop’s company - sold SL0194 in May 2010 and the car, at last, came back to Italy where it has undergone a complete restoration and is now equipped with a new period engine consistent with the original.
State of the Art: Thorough restoration of body, interiors and mechanical parts.
In 1926, Giorgio Ambrosini founded in Turin the S.I.A.T.A. (Società Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori) company to produce racing kits for Fiat engines, special gearboxes and superchargers. In 1937, Ambrosini took over Andrea Mantelli’s Carrozzeria Italiana and started the construction of cars.The Daina is a SIATA model produced from 1950 to 1954; a GranTurismo sold from 1950 to 1952 both in its coupé body and its convertible version, with a front end fitted with a line and a radiator grille like the Lancia and MG coeval models. In 1952, the Gran Sport body was introduced, available both in its spider and coupé versions. Until 1953, most of the bodies were built by Giovanni Farina (founder of the Stabilimenti Farina body shop, which went bankrupt in 1953), while the last cars received Bertone bodies. The car was based on heavily modified Fiat 1400 mechanics. The chassis was reinforced and shortened while the engine was developed with a new head, new manifolds, carburettors and in some cases Abarth exhaust systems.The cars were later named SL (literary Scatola di lamiera, aluminium box)Collectors liked the car for its line, a typical example of Italian style with a sober taste, and the pleasant and comfortable driving. Top collectors vastly appreciate it, but there is very little availability as a result of the craft-nature of its production. According to Ambrosini, 120 Daina cars were produced in total, of which fifty with the first designed bodywork, including both coupes and convertibles. The production’s scarcity caused quite a rise in the car’s quotations.The carThe chassis no. SL0194 is a trasformabile (convertible) SL model. According to historians, worldwide only 15 known exemplars survived.
The car
The Stabilimenti Farina built the bodywork no. 9572, in full aluminium, except for the doors.It is believed that the 1st owner, in 1952, was an (unknown) Austrian earl. The car was later, in 1957, exhibited in a Parisian concessionaire. In the same year, the car was bought by Winthrop A. Eastman. The owner used SL0194, then resident in Spain, to follow motor racing races in Europe as Race Director. In this period, the engine parts (valve cover, oil filter, pipes) were chrome-plated. Eastman took the car to the USA on his return in the 1960s. The car went then to D. Johnson, son of Herb Johnson of the “Herb’s Garage”. While in his possession, the front of the car was damaged in a collision. By May 1968, the SL0194 was bought for $200,00 by Dean Nystrom in Minnesota. According to him, the engine was not running well. Therefore the engine was disassembled as he could not find gaskets for the original engine. Nystrom purchased a wrecked Mustang early in 1969 and fitted the Ford 289 engine to the Siata but kept the original engine and transmission that were sold later with the car. Nystrom kept the SL0194 until the early 70s. He sold it via the Minneapolis Sunday paper to a gravedigger for $ 700,00. The car remained with the gravedigger and his brother for several years before it disappeared. According to Gary Schultz, it stayed in Carolina for several years, probably in the backyard of a body shop. The car presented by then front damages, the V8 engine and a worn red paint over the previous brown. In 2003, the SL0194 was listed on eBay, then owned by James Brown in North Carolina from 2003 to 2005, afterwards owned by Jerry Bensinger in Ohio and Michael Gue in Georgia. The car was listed for sale on March 2006 for $16.000; the car crossed back the ocean to come in the hands of Joop Stolze in the Netherlands in 2007. Stoltze Classic – Joop’s company - sold SL0194 in May 2010 and the car, at last, came back to Italy where it has undergone a complete restoration and is now equipped with a new period engine consistent with the original.
State of the Art: Thorough restoration of body, interiors and mechanical parts.
Literature
Alberto Fornai, S.I.A.T.A. 1926-1974, Italy 2002.
Condition report
To request a Condition Report, please contact automotive@finarte.it
The department will provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Please note that what Finarte declares with respect to the state of conservation of the objects corresponds only to a qualified opinion and that we are not professional conservators or restorers.
We urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. We always suggest prospective buyers to inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition during the exhibition days as indicated in the catalog.