Imperia 8 CV Super Sport History

In 1921 Imperia built three experimental 5.6-litre overhead-camshaft straight-eights — ambitious machinery that presaged the sporting direction the firm would take later in the decade. By 1927 the company had refined its thinking into the 8 CV, a 1624 cc six-cylinder with an overhead-camshaft engine good for around 40 hp.

The Super Sport development, fitted with three carburettors, pushed the car to a documented top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h) — remarkable for a 1.6-litre car of the era. Louis de Monge, hired as chief engineer around 1925, brought innovations including torsion-bar suspension and early automatic-transmission experiments to the range. One 1920s Imperia model also featured a sunroof among the first cars to do so. The 8 CV SS brought Imperia genuine prestige on the international sporting scene before the economic depression forced the company toward cheaper, licensed designs.