Le Saleve was a brand of Blum & Ostersetzer S.A. (Bienne), who were specialized in watch production for Italy. They were the sole agents for Longines in Italy. Isotta Fraschini This car brand was founded in Milan on 27 January 1900 by Cesare Isotta, and brothers Antonio, Oreste and Vincenzo Fraschini. This car raised immediate interest for the technical accuracy of its models. Thanks to important financial funds, the excellent reputation of its founders and particularly the knowhow of its engineers such as Giustino Cattaneo, the Milanese firm very soon asserted itself as the Italian alternative to foreign luxury cars. From 1903, they started production of big cars with 4 cylinders and took part in many competitions. They won the Targa Florio in 1908. After a short association with the French firm Lorraine-Dietrich, the brand regained its independence. In 1909 they diversified their production in trucks as well as railway, naval and aeronautical engines. Circa 1911, Giustino Cattaneo conceived the KM4, one of the most powerful cars of that period; the streamlined body of this model was called "Shrapnell". The degradation of the political climate in Europe limited its production to 50 examples only. After that, Cattaneo designed a reduced version of the famous KM, meant for a wider clientele: the TM and TC. These models, as well as the KM, had front wheel brakes. Isotta Fraschini was one of the only makers producing this system in series before 1914. The TM and TC were produced respectively in 20 and 16 examples only. The car production reached its highest point from 1919 to 1932, at tremendous expense, with the models 8, 8A and 8B, during the 1920's, being among the most famous cars of the world. The extremely limited production was mainly exported to The United States. During the second decade of the 20th century and above all during WWI, Isotta Fraschini was an important maker of engines for airplanes and airships. In 1919, Isotta-Fraschini launched the "8", a luxury model, with 8 cylinders in line, made for the European elite and also for the American market, where the brand was already well known in 1910. The type 8A, and 8 AS (Spinta) launched in 1924, competed with Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza. hi 1927, the 8AS became the 8ASS (Super Spinta); but it was too heavy a car for a sports model, despite its 160 hp engine. The Isotta-Fraschini was fitted by famous coach-builders such as Castagna, Sala or Touring in Italy, Barker in Great-Britain, Fleetwood or Le Baron in The United States. Aristocrats, industrials and stars adopted this car, but the 1929 crisis affected the firm. In 1931, they p r oduced the 8A Americaine which was praised by personalities such as Clara Bow, Charles Dempsey, Rudolf Valentino and William Hearst. This car was then considered as one of the best in the world. Finally, Isotta-Fraschini presented the 8B, i mprovement of the former models. After the catastrophic results of 1931, 1932 and 1933, they abandoned car production in 1934, maintaining only the manufacturing of aeronautical and naval engines. After the reorganization of the firm, circa one hundred chassis of the 8B model were left and unfortunately destroyed after 1944. That made the 8B become an absolute rarity. Isotta Fraschini joined the Caproni Group. Later, they started car production again and made the Monterosa; the result was a disaster and the firm did not recover. In 1950, it joined the Finmeccanica Group and started making diesel engines for diver se applications.