1954 Fiat 8V

Fiat's first engines had four cylinders, often of enormous proportions. They produced their first six-cylinder engine in 1907 and a V-12 from 1921 to 1922. Despite this vast portfolio of engines, they did not produce an engine with eight cylinders until 1952.

The Fiat 8V, or Otto Vu in Italian, was built for two years with 114 examples creating, with a top speed in the neighborhood of 124 mph. The two-seater coupe had a fully independent suspension with most of the coachwork handled by the factory. 63 were penned by Fiat's chief designer Fabio Rapi, 34 first series cars, and 29-second series cars. Some of the bodies were given unique (often one-off) coachwork by Ghia, Pinin Farina, Vignale, and Zagato. Zagato bodied 30 examples, labeled 'Elaborata Zagato,' with distinctive features such as a thin aluminum strip on the hood scoop, and the absence of air outlets. No fewer than fifteen 8Vs wore coachwork by Ghia, and at least 14 of them were the 'Supersonic' coupe penned by Giovanni Savonuzzi. Using his aeronautical background, he created streamlined bodies that became the ultimate expression of 'Jet-Age' styling.

Mechanical Specification
The 70-degree V configuration, eight-cylinder alloy engine displaced 1996cc, had two twin-choke Weber 36 DCF 3 carburetors, developed 115 horsepower, and was developed by Dante Giacosa. It had a finned aluminum sump, polished intakes and ports, a forged crankshaft, and tubular stainless-steel exhaust manifolds. The early Type 104.000 engine had an 8.5:1 compression ratio, 104 horsepower, and a top speed of nearly 120 mph. The improved 104.003 version used different camshaft timing that resulted in a boost in power to 113 hp at 6,000 RPM. The final version was the 104.006 which used 8.75:1 compression, a revised fuel system and camshaft timing, resulting in an increase in power to 125 hp at 6,600 RPM. The tubular chassis used an all-round independent suspension, a four-speed manual gearbox, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Aside from the differential, the 8V did not share any parts with the other Fiat automobiles, however, many parts were made by Siata, including the chassis, and used in their cars. Thanks to its lightweight frame and relatively potent engine, the Otto Vue had an impressive performance and reactive handling.

Fiat introduced the 8V at the 1952 Geneva Motor Show and quickly earned a reputation for its elegant styling and unique power plant. From the beginning, it was envisioned for competition use and proved highly successful with many notable results including winning the 2.0-liter class of the Italian Championship in 1954.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019