SIATA Daina “Gran Sport” SL*0203* Stabilimenti Farina #9683

SIATA Daina “Gran Sport” SL*0203*
Stabilimenti Farina #9683
(historical compilation and presentation by John de Boer)
Perhaps the first “Gran Sport”? **
August, 1951
Purchased by Hector S. Scheffer (Illinois), evidently with the idea of becoming a dealer/agent.
His advertisement translated the model name to “Grand Sports Roadster”
The designation from SIATA would have been “spider Gran Sport”.
This advertisement appeared on the rear cover of the Elkhart Lake race program for August 26, 1951
Hector Scheffer was also responsible for printing the race program.
The car appeared at Elkhart and was photographed in color.
Photo courtesy of Yellowstone SCCA
Scheffer also entered and raced at Watkins Glen in September
Tony Pompeo entered the car in October at the Convair Trophy Races at Allentown, Pennsylvania
I don’t know if he raced it himself. This may be Scheffer at the wheel once again?
The image I have that shows the same car is not one I feel can be published without permission not yet received.
Unlike many later Gran Sport examples, this car used standard Fiat 1400 wheels with 14-inch Pirelli tires.
There was another Gran Sport that featured a similar windscreen, but it is clearly a later car.
** When I indicate that this car may be the “first Gran Sport”, I have to acknowledge that I do not know what form the
original body on SL*0201*S had. That car exists today as a coupe from about 1953/54 that may be by Vignale.
There are other chassis numbers that are completely undescribed as well.
Pompeo (“PAVIA” = Pompeo and Valenzano Italian Automobiles) and John Edgar teamed up to
advertise in Road & Track magazine with an image of this car as part of the promotion.
The “light alloy” body offered here might seem to imply “aluminum” but SL0203 is bodied in steel aside from the engine
lid. A fully aluminum body could rarely be purchased easily in the USA. The body is alloy. Largely some alloys of steel!
“Full leather upholstery” was rarely delivered except by request.
Tony Pompeo and Hector Scheffer entered a Siata in the Vero Beach Races of March 1952 (race #44) but there is no
indication that they took part in the race. It may be that it was this car that was supposed to have appeared?
Tony Pompeo entered a Gran Sport to race at Thompson in April of 1952. It may be that this car was used?
Jim Pauley entered and raced SL0203 at Bridgehampton. A supercharger had been fitted and the car was bumped up
one class as a result.
Tony Pompeo raced almost certainly in this car once again (still supercharged) at Mt. Equinox during June.
The entry / results listing showed the car as “Siata Gran Sport S”
The car was “purchased in New York” (probably from Pompeo?) by Vernon Richardson and taken to Los Angeles.
Ernie McAfee’s shop was given the task of removing the Siata engine and fitting a Studebaker V8 behind the front
suspension cross-member rather than above it. An adapter plate was made to fit the Siata-Fiat 5-speed transmission to
the engine and the original rear end was retained as well. The installation was written up and illustrated in Hot Rod
magazine for July of 1953 even as the car was being offered for sale.
This concludes the documented portion of the car’s early description aside from some likely possibilities that are
currently anecdotal and circumstantial. It is likely that some additional history can be confirmed with study?
Bill & Jane Hedy (Southern California) owned a Siata-Studebaker for a time in the 1950's. Checking into details ….
A Siata-Studebaker was advertised out of San Diego in 1961 as being "red with red leather".
Roger Pitts (Whittier, CA) owned a Siata-Studebaker that became a Siata-Ford with the subsequent owner. It played a
small part in the The Love Bug movie, filmed 1968. The “Love Bug” Siata Gran Sport is not SL*0203.
The most recent owner (name not yet identified to my studies) reportedly said that he purchased the car 38 years ago
(perhaps 1974?) from McAfee’s brother-in-law and that it was missing its seats already at that time.
Today:
The chassis and body seem to be in remarkably good shape. Some changes were made to fit the Studebaker engine and
it may be impossible to know precisely how some details were configured originally? The chassis has some damages due
to the way the Chevy engine and Powerglide transmission were mocked up …but perhaps never run.
The original instruments are loose in a box and are generally in decent condition although a needle is missing from one
gauge.
There is a Chevrolet engine fitted that has valve covers labeled “327 Turbo-Fire”. The number implies it was from a large
passenger car, probably from 1963.
The seats are missing.
Door latch parts are missing
The Stabilimenti Farina badges seem to be missing. They are not quite the same as current reproductions but I’d guess
that the current version can be modified to appear quite “correct”.
The rear end has been changed and there is no Siata-modified Fiat transmission.
Two wheels are missing. The originals are probably relatively standard Fiat 1400 wheels?
One headlamp trim ring seems to be missing.
The steering wheel is not the original.
Fuel filler cap not the original. The original will be smaller than what was used on the bulk of the production.
Lights are not complete and probably not entirely original. The tail-lamp body is different than other Gran Sport cars and
the body is present without lenses.
Some switches and cables are missing.
I find it interesting that this car has cast-aluminum bumpers (as do many later cars) and yet SL0214 (now sitting
alongside) has similar-appearing fabricated steel bumpers (for the rear) that are clearly original. There are visible
differences in period photos as well, something I’d not noticed before.