Looking through the list of manufacturers competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year, it’s an impressive array of some of the biggest names in the motoring world. Ferrari, Toyota, Porsche, Peugeot, BMW and Lamborghini, to name just a few. There is one name that sticks out from all the others, though, and that’s Isotta Fraschini.
This lesser known car company is currently experiencing what might be termed a second wind. Originally formed in 1900 by Cesare Isotta and brothers Vincenzo, Antonio and Oreste Fraschini, it went racing for the first time in 1907 and then later went on to produce luxury road cars. However, by 1949, the company had stopped making cars and instead focused on trolley buses, having merged with engine manufacturer Breda.
During the 1990s, efforts were made to revive the road car side of the business but, after a few false starts, the company filed for bankruptcy in 1999. That should have been the end of Isotta Fraschini, but things started to move again when the FIA and ACO’s top category
