The Fiat 8V's legacy as one of the most legendary cars ever built by the Italian brand was established from the start; it would be more than fair to say that the unique supercar caused a stir when it was introduced at the 1952 Geneva Motor Show. Road & Track called it “the biggest surprise of the year,” and The Engine noted that “the last thing expected from Italy's largest car factory was a truly sleek 2-seater sedan.”
This enthusiastic response was echoed by the upper echelon of European men's racers, and for good reason: the 8V's performance was astonishing, capable of more than 120 mph from its 1.996 cubic centimeter narrow-angle V8 engine. Weighing just under 2.200 pounds and sitting on a chassis made by Siata, the 8V is designed for responsive handling thanks to its lightweight frame and relatively powerful engine. The impressive new powertrain was developed by Dante Giacosa, and the 2,0-litre, all-aluminium Tipo 104 engine featured a finned crankcase, forged crankshaft, polished intakes and ports and tubular stainless steel exhaust manifolds. With a tubular chassis, taut unibody and independent suspension all around, this was a very special car.
The short production run, which lasted from July 1952 to September 1954, resulted in the production of 114 examples of the 8V – Otto Vù In italian. Intriguingly, some cars were designed and made almost entirely in-house by Fiat's Dipartimento Carrozzerie Derivate e Speciali , or Special Bodies Department. A total of 63 copies were penned by Fiat's chief designer, Fabio Rapi: 34 cars from the first series and 29 in the second series.
The 8V, which was intended for competition use from the start, turned out to be very successful and the car to beat. Notable results included winning the 2,0 liter class of the Italian GT Championship for six consecutive seasons (1954 to 1959). Perhaps the most spectacular result for the model was achieved by coachbuilding heir Elio Zagato, who competed in the 1954 Coppa Inter-Europa at Monza, a non-championship of sports car racing, and won the 2,0-litre class with a incredible average speed of 97 mph over 49 laps.
8V BERLINETTA OTTANTANOVE
This 8V, chassis number 89, is one of those 29 cars from the second series that received a factory body with Rapi's signature "stacked" double headlights. Factory details in Tony Adriaensens' book Otto Vù from 2006 show it was completed in early March 1954 and delivered new to Vincenzo Orsini's Rome-based Fiat dealer. The 8V remains one of Fiat's most famous and sought-after creations.
The Fiat 8V's legacy as one of the most legendary cars ever built by the Italian brand was established from the start; it would be more than fair to say that the unique supercar caused a stir when it was introduced at the 1952 Geneva Motor Show. Road & Track called it “the biggest surprise of the year,” and The Engine noted that “the last thing expected from Italy's largest car factory was a truly sleek 2-seater sedan.”
This enthusiastic response was echoed by the upper echelon of European men's racers, and for good reason: the 8V's performance was astonishing, capable of more than 120 mph from its 1.996 cubic centimeter narrow-angle V8 engine. Weighing just under 2.200 pounds and sitting on a chassis made by Siata, the 8V is designed for responsive handling thanks to its lightweight frame and relatively powerful engine. The impressive new powertrain was developed by Dante Giacosa, and the 2,0-litre, all-aluminium Tipo 104 engine featured a finned crankcase, forged crankshaft, polished intakes and ports and tubular stainless steel exhaust manifolds. With a tubular chassis, taut unibody and independent suspension all around, this was a very special car.
The short production run, which lasted from July 1952 to September 1954, resulted in the production of 114 examples of the 8V – Otto Vù In italian. Intriguingly, some cars were designed and made almost entirely in-house by Fiat's Dipartimento Carrozzerie Derivate e Speciali , or Special Bodies Department. A total of 63 copies were penned by Fiat's chief designer, Fabio Rapi: 34 cars from the first series and 29 in the second series.
The 8V, which was intended for competition use from the start, turned out to be very successful and the car to beat. Notable results included winning the 2,0 liter class of the Italian GT Championship for six consecutive seasons (1954 to 1959). Perhaps the most spectacular result for the model was achieved by coachbuilding heir Elio Zagato, who competed in the 1954 Coppa Inter-Europa at Monza, a non-championship of sports car racing, and won the 2,0-litre class with a incredible average speed of 97 mph over 49 laps.
8V BERLINETTA OTTANTANOVE
This 8V, chassis number 89, is one of those 29 cars from the second series that received a factory body with Rapi's signature "stacked" double headlights. Factory details in Tony Adriaensens' book Otto Vù from 2006 show it was completed in early March 1954 and delivered new to Vincenzo Orsini's Rome-based Fiat dealer. The 8V remains one of Fiat's most famous and sought-after creations.
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