At the beginning of the 20th century, Italian manufacturer Isotta-Fraschini was the undisputed leader in luxury cars, particularly in the United States. Unveiled in 1912, the Tipo 8 was equipped with four-wheel brakes as standard and an in-line eight-cylinder engine, the first of its kind in the world. The model on display at the Cité de l’Automobile-Collection Schlumpf (City-of-Automobile) dates from 1928. The economic crisis of the 1930s severely affected sales of luxury vehicles and Isotta-Fraschini experienced great difficulties. Finally bought out in 1932 by the aircraft manufacturer Caproni, the company stopped producing cars in favour of aircraft engines.