Ford’s Lost Italian Sports Car Prototype Cisitalia 808XF Revealed
Automotive history is filled with fascinating “what could have been” stories, and the Cisitalia 808XF is one of the most intriguing. This stunning prototype nearly became Ford’s first real sports car decades before the De Tomaso Pantera arrived, blending Italian design elegance with American mechanical reliability. Now being auctioned, the 808XF offers a rare glimpse into a collaboration that could have changed the trajectory of Ford’s sports car legacy.
The story begins in 1951, when Henry Ford II, already an enthusiast of European cars, agreed to explore a collaboration with Turin-based Cisitalia. The goal was ambitious: to produce a stylish, attainable sports car for the U.S. market that combined sleek Italian design with dependable Ford components. At the time, American buyers were increasingly interested in European roadsters such as MGs and Jaguars, and the project promised to bring that European flair stateside with the practicality of Ford engineering.
Cisitalia handled the creative and engineering work. The 808XF, named after its X-shaped chassis frame and Ford-based powertrain, was built on a chassis designed by Giovanni Savonuzzi, who also created the sleek, fixed-roof coupe body with help from Ghia. The car’s design exuded elegance, with flowing lines and Italian sophistication, giving it a presence that stood out against contemporary American vehicles.
Powering the prototype was a 255.6-cubic-inch (4.2-liter) Mercury flathead V8. Equipped with twin Holley carburetors and coupled to a Ford three-speed manual transmission, the engine offered solid performance for its day. On paper and in reality, the 808XF promised both style and speed, providing a true transatlantic blend of Italian flair and Detroit durability.
However, when the prototype arrived in the U.S. in 1952, Ford engineers and executives faced a cold reality. Production costs were far higher than anticipated, making the project financially unfeasible. Even two additional prototypes with Vignale bodies failed to sway the decision-makers. The 808XF was ultimately shelved, never reaching mass production, and Ford walked away from the project.
Instead, the prototype was advertised in Road & Track magazine for $7,500 and showcased at the 1953 International Motorsports Show in New York. The car eventually entered private ownership, spending decades largely out of the public eye before a meticulous restoration returned it to its original metallic blue finish with period-correct details. Remarkably, it has remained in the custody of the same family since 1960, and its current owner has preserved it for the past 48 years.
Though the 808XF never made it to production, its spirit lived on. Ford’s later success with the Thunderbird, introduced in 1955, proved that a stylish, sporty American GT could succeed at a more affordable production cost. Ford also played a key role in the 1970s with the De Tomaso Pantera, supplying V8 engines and selling the cars through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships before withdrawing due to build-quality concerns.
The Cisitalia 808XF remains a captivating chapter in automotive history, a rare blend of Italian artistry and American engineering that almost brought a new kind of sports car to U.S. roads decades before its time.
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Ford’s Lost Italian Sports Car Prototype Cisitalia 808XF Revealed
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