Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
antp ◊ 2006-09-24 20:42	Info received by e-mail from Wade: Lot 39, 1931 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8B Viggo Jensen Cabriolet d'Orsay with coachwork by Dansk Karosseri-Farbik The star of the auction was Lot 39, a maroon 1931 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8B Viggo Jensen Cabriolet d'Orsay with maroon leather and ostrich skin upholstery and maroon soft top that appeared in the movie "Sunset Boulevard" and had been the 1995 Pebble Beach Best of Show winnter. The right-hand-drive car, which was chassis No. 869 and engine No. 821, had an estimate on request and sold to an American private collector for $1,382,500, the highest price of the sale. http://www.thecityreview.com/s02ccar.html sold 18.5.2002 -- Last edit: 2006-10-23 17:33:56 (wickey)
wickey ◊ 2006-10-19 21:48	beauty
wickey ◊ 2006-10-19 22:40	"...we have a car. Not one of those cheap things made of chromium and spit but Isotta Fraschini. Have you ever heard of Isotta Fraschini? All hand-made. It cost me twenty eight thousand dollars." "The whole thing was upholsted in leopard skin and had one of those car phones. All gold-plated." -- Last edit: 2006-10-20 00:15:11
archi87 ◊ 2006-10-19 23:44	wickey wrote "...we have a car. Not one of those cheap things made of chromium and spit… I remember what Gloria Swanson / Norma Desmond was calling a "cheap things made of spit": a 1946 Plymouth convertible if I'm not wrong. How I like this movie… Thanks for the quotation, wickey! -- Last edit: 2006-10-20 00:15:23 (wickey)
wickey ◊ 2006-10-20 00:05	from imdb trivia: "Despite the fact that Erich von Stroheim plays a butler/chauffeur, he could not drive in real life. During the scenes in which he drove, the car was towed by another car. In the scene in which he drives Norma Desmond to Paramount Pictures, he crashed into the famous Paramount gate." uffff poor Isotta "The antique car used as Norma Desmond's limousine is an Isotta-Fraschini, and once belonged to 1920s socialite Peggy Hopkins Joyce. It was a gift from her lover, automobile magnate Walter Chrysler." -- Last edit: 2006-10-20 00:09:36
wickey ◊ 2006-10-20 00:28
wickey ◊ 2006-10-20 00:28	archi87 wrote Thanks for the quotation, wickey! with pleasure.
wickey ◊ 2006-10-20 00:36	and btw the extra field is too short for all the information about this vehicle
antp ◊ 2006-10-20 00:40	Cannot we remove one of the words?
wickey ◊ 2006-10-20 00:45	antp wrote Cannot we remove one of the words?
firebird86 ◊ 2006-10-20 01:38	I wouldnt
antp ◊ 2006-10-20 18:16	Or put one/two of these in model name
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 17:25	now we do have a problem with information... read this: Link to "www.blackhawkcollection.com"
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 17:39	to be honest, the one in BH collection looks more like the one in the movie.. notice the front and rear bumpers - clearly the same, but different on christies specimen. On the other hand, the BH is in different colour, is not leopard skinned inside and the position of front windshield on the car in BH looks straighter as in the movie (that is more similar with Christies example..) But if we look at this link: http://www.autoreview.ru/kunst/num21/cabriol1.htm - I believe it is a Christies specimen - the front grille is also completely different from the car in the movie etc.. Can someone read and understand Russian??? I am definitely confused now.
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 18:00	here are further photos and info about the Christies example - it is definitely the same vehicle as in the russian article - this time in german http://www.classicdriver.de/de/magazine/3200.asp?id=816 + http://www.classicdriver.de/de/magazine/3200.asp?id=823 -- Last edit: 2006-10-23 18:22:23
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 18:17	after some further research I can definitely say, that the car used in the movie is NOT a 1931 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8B Viggo Jensen Cabriolet d'Orsay Dansk Karosseri-Fabrik major differences: the movie car has divided windshield, christies car have one piece windshield christies car has second regular windshield in front of passengers, movie car has only slideable glass bumpers are completely different shape of the roof is different the window openers in the back are differently positioned. The Christie's cataloguers are definitely wrong. -- Last edit: 2006-10-23 18:22:00
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 18:28	windshields: vs.
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 18:30	front: vs. btw the license plate is different on this and main pic -- Last edit: 2006-10-23 18:34:36
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 18:33	window openers: vs.
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 18:34	so I believe we have solved the problem with Tipo 8B. Now the question is: Is the car in Blackhawk collection really the same with the movie vehicle?
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 18:37	the line under the roof + the roof vs. - it is clearly different.. the lines in the body are in other places + the roof is different (possibility, that the car in the movie has no roof at all... - it is completely hidden under the cover - or even not there)
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 18:40	interiour: vs. - there are also major differences (even if we forget about the colour and material) the window opener on the rear panel in the movie - nothing here in BH.. weird.
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 18:42	now the question is - could be the differences between movie car and BH car caused by later renovation? The similarity of these two vehicles is very obvious.. My final opinion - this car really should be (95%) 1929 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Castagna Transformable Chassis# 1587
garco ◊ 2006-10-23 20:01	Nice pictures! (but maybe use imageshack... )
wickey ◊ 2006-10-23 20:32	here are some info, but the identification of the car is incorrect http://www.sd455.com/moviesunsetblvd.htm
Alexander ◊ 2006-10-24 01:17	Hey, Wickey, you found a second love next to Volvo? You excellent research shows that the Christie's people don't know what they are talking about. It is quite obviously a different car than the one auctioned. The Tipo 8A from the Blackhawk Collection is a similar vehicle, but I would say not identical. Too many details are different. Even a restauration of a rotten vehicle wouldn't change it so much. Funny how many people try to make money with a vehicle they don't have! To understand this one should know that an exclusive car with an interesting history can easily double the price!
wickey ◊ 2006-10-24 01:40	sure after seeing dozens of Isottas - they are really magnificent ones (but probably my Volvo dreams will be easier to fulfill ) anyway cars with royal or other interesting pedigree are always more interesting - but sometimes not even that could save it before almost destruction - nice example: Link to "www.petersen.org" Link to "www.petersen.org" Link to "www.petersen.org" happy end and back to Isotta - it is so probably not the same car, but I think it is so similar, that we can name it after that -- Last edit: 2006-10-24 01:41:08
Alexander ◊ 2006-10-24 09:48	wickey wrote ... and back to Isotta - it is so probably not the same car, but I think it is so similar, that we can name it after that Yes, I would do that, too.
Flaminiasupersport ◊ 2006-12-12 12:44	The "Driver" couldn't drive the car, so it was pulled in all the scenes of "Sunset Boulevard"!
wickey ◊ 2006-12-12 20:24	flaminiasupersport wrote The "Driver" couldn't drive the car, so it was pulled in all the scenes of "Sunset Boulevard"! from imdb trivia: "Despite the fact that Erich von Stroheim plays a butler/chauffeur, he could not drive in real life. During the scenes in which he drove, the car was towed by another car. In the scene in which he drives Norma Desmond to Paramount Pictures, he crashed into the famous Paramount gate."
robgeelen2 ◊ 2008-04-29 22:06	The filmproducers had the body shown by Fleetwood, formerly on a Cadillac, installed on the Isotta Fraschini
philm ◊ 2009-04-29 18:25	Some possibly helpful trivia - the original car from "Sunset" was re-used in David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" for about 2 seconds. It can be seen in the background, parked on the Paramount lot in the same location as in Wilder's film. Maybe a screen shot could help positively identify the car?
DRB ◊ 2011-05-27 20:55	I hunted this down today. The Museo Dell'Automobile in Torino, Italy, apparently has had THE "Sunset" car since 1972. Here is a link: Link to "www.museoauto.it" Also, on pages 29-30 of the book "Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard," by Sam Staggs, it does say that the Sunset Isotta was relieved of its leopard upholstery and gold phone, and that the car is now in the Museo Dell'Automobile.
DRB ◊ 2011-05-27 21:15	The actual "Sunset" Isotta, per the Museo Dell'Automobile in Turin, Italy. The proportions, windshields, windows and rooflines DO look correct: -- Last edit: 2011-05-27 21:16:40
chicomarx ◊ 2011-05-27 21:33	Bigger picture: http://picasaweb.google.com/jlobre/FranceItaly2007#5154961635537832610 You may have found it. Some details are different but yes, it's a better match than the previous contestants.
DRB ◊ 2011-05-28 00:53	Check out these photos of the car in Turin. Headlights look different (the bar that connects them is lower) and the header of the front windshield looks slightly different, but that's about it. I wonder if the windshield header was altered for the movie for some reason... -- Last edit: 2011-05-28 00:54:45
DRB ◊ 2011-05-28 01:06	The plot thickens. The "ND" initials in the movie have an extra flourish at the top left of the N that the museum car doesn't have, and the museum car's pinstripes are simpler than the movie car's. Of course, it's possible that the museum car has been repainted, as we ARE talking 50-plus years since those initials would've painted on the car. -- Last edit: 2011-05-28 01:09:34
chicomarx ◊ 2011-05-28 02:05	It was probably all repainted and redone, which is a shame. It would be more interesting left original and looking worn. Especially the leopard skin seats should have been kept... wickey wrote "...we have a car. Not one of those cheap things made of chromium and spit but Isotta Fraschini. Have you ever heard of Isotta Fraschini? All hand-made. It cost me twenty-eight thousand dollars." "The whole thing was upholstered in leopard skin and had one of those car phones. All gold-plated."
chicomarx ◊ 2011-05-28 02:28	Scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE_2OnOZb-Y#t=05m12s
SFTom ◊ 2011-09-05 10:09	Has there ever been more confusion about a car used in movies than this one? It's all fun, though.
ChrisStockslager ◊ 2013-04-08 08:19	I'm 100% sure, guys, that the car used in the movie is the one that is currently tan and brown. Look at the shape of the headlights - rounded glass. Notice how the brown and tan car has the same length roof as the movie car. The dark blue (black) car's hood is proportionately longer, and I doubt they would've restored the hood of that car, making it longer, if they wanted to promote it as a movie car - impractical and highly expensive. Odd's are, someone checked their facts incorrectly, slapped the "ND" on the blue / black car and called it the car from the movie. The lines (architecture?) of the tan and brown car and the b&w movie car are just too similar.
Londogno ◊ 2019-09-22 01:19	I think the Dansk Karosseri-Fabrik name can be removed from the title, since it is obvious that they are completely different cars, featured in very different films. It should be labeled as a 1929 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Castagna Landaulet Transformable.

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1929 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Castagna Transformable Dansk Karosseri-Fabrik

1929 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A in Sunset Blvd., Movie, 1950

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