The imposing Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A is one of the greatest Italian automobiles of the Classic Era, renowned as a pioneer of the straight-eight-cylinder engine and for the elaborate coachwork fitted by the world’s finest shops.

Very few of the known survivors featured two-door cabriolet coachwork, and few are more interesting and unique than the example offered here.

The car’s identity was long a mystery, which has been uncovered through patient detective work by marque historian Jonathan Sierakowski.

Each Isotta Fraschini’s hood was specifically made for each car, to suit the body mounted to the chassis; this example’s hood hinge is original and still stamped with number 1402, the identity of the original chassis.

Most significantly, the coachwork has been recently confirmed as being by Stabilimenti Farina, whose body numbers can still be found, stamped—or in one case hand-scratched—into the underside of much of the original body hardware.

A photograph of the car in Norway was f...