 1953 8V |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |
1954 Fiat 8V news, pictures, and information | ||
| Tweet | ||
 |  |  | Coupe Designer: Zagato |
The Fiat 8V made its debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March of 1952. A high performance coupe, it was intended to bring prestige to Fiat's line of economy cars. About 40 of them were fitted with lightweight alloy bodies by Carrozzeria Zagato of Milan. The cars were powered by a 1996 cc overhead valve V8 of 105 hp, and raced successfully against the Alfas and Maseratis in the mid-fifties.
The particular car shown is one of only five 8V 'double-bubble' coupes bodied by Zagato, and was raced by Elio Zagato himself (his height is said to be the origin of the unusual roof-line!). Following its restoration, it participated in the 1990 and 1991 Mille Miglia and later on the Colorado Grand.
 |  |  | Coupe Designer: Zagato Chassis Num: 106000061 Engine Num: 000112 |
| Sold for $682,000 at 2010 Gooding & Company. | |||
Fiat introduced the 8V at the 1952 Geneva Motor Show and quickly earned a reputation for its elegant styling and unique power plant. In total, there were just 114 examples of these unique cars created during the production lifespan, lasting from 1952 through 1954.
This example left the Fiat factory for Torino on June 10th of 1953. It was then given its Zagato coachwork featuring a first series body and given several special features such as the absence of air outlets and a thin aluminum strip on the hood scoop. It was designed and built for competition and painted in Italian Racing Red. Many of the Fiat 8V cars were used in competition, as their potent engine made them very successful in the two-liter class.
The first owner of this car, chassis number 106000061, was Erik Jossipovic of Trieste, Italy. Over the next two years, the car was raced extensively with the support of the Milan-based Scuderia Madunina. It made its competition debut at the Coppa Felice Bonetto in March of 1955 where it finished 5th in the Gran Turismo Speciale class. It raced at the XII Salita delle Torricelle before making its first appearance at the Mille Miglia. It wore race number 439 and was piloted by Jossipovic and Placido Durrigoni. Sadly, it did not finish the race.
In June the car was entered in the Trieste-Opicina where it finished 15th overall. In July it raced at the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti where it finished 37th overall. The final outing for this car in 1955 was in October at the XVI Treponti - Castelnuovo. In 1956, it raced at the IV Coppa Vigorelli e Alborghetti. In April it raced for the second time in the Mille Miglia, this time wearing racing number 330. It finished 69th overall, completing the endurance race in 14 hours and 57 minutes. It was then entered in the XVI Bolzano-Mendola where it came in 12th in the Gran Turismo category. Its final European outing was at the X Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti and the VII Coppa InterEuropa.
Near the close of the 1950s, the car was exported to the United States and sent to its new owner, Mr. Benjamin Barber. It was sold in 1960 to Austin K. Wildman Jr. of Scottsdale, Arizona. While in his care, the engine was damaged and removed. The car was sold in 1967, and by the mid-1970s, the car had been fitted with Ford 302 V-8 engine.
In the mid-1990s, the car was re-fitted with its original engine and sold to its next owner who began a comprehensive restoration. By 2007, the car was in the ownership of Jean Laurent-Bellue. That year, it was taken to Tecnica Auto in Pari where it received extensive mechanical work. The following year, it was sent to Jim Stokes in England where it was given a limited slip differential. Later that year, it was imported into the United States.
This 8V has its original competition-style seats, a Nardi steering wheel, correct Plexiglas anti-turbulence strips on the door frames and Borrani wire wheels wearing Pirelli tires.
In 2009, this Fiat 8V was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was expected to sell for $875,000 - $975,000. Sadly, a willing buyer able to satisfy the vehicles reserve was not found and the lot was left unsold.
In 2010, the car returned to auction. It was offered for sale at Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach sale where it was estimated to sell for $675,000 - $750,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $682,000 including buyer's premium.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010
 |  | Supersonic Coupe Coachwork: Ghia |
Ghia produced ten examples of the 8V. The cars were given an aluminum-body and made its debut at the 1953 Paris Auto Show. The cars were intended for touring rather than racing.
This example is an unrestored original car and is number of the ten built. The current owner purchased the car in 1955, later sold it to a friend, and later re-acquired it in 1981.
By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2010
By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2007
The Fiat 8V, also known as 'Ottu Vu' in Italian, was first shown to the public at the 1952 Geneva Motor Show. Production lasted from 1952 through 1954 with a total of 114 examples being produced. The car was powered by a V8 engine, and since Fiat thought that Ford held the trademark for 'V8', they dubbed their vehicle the 8V. The design was courtesy of Dante Giacosa and stylist Fabio Lucio Rapi.
Of the 114 examples produced, many were unique. They had been designed for competition, specifically the two-liter class in the Italian Championship. The 2.0-liter V8 engines were fed through two Weber 36 DCF3 Carburetors and produced 105-115 horsepower, depending on configuration. There was a four-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel drum brakes, with an independent suspension comprised of coil springs, telescopic shocks, stabilizer bar and transverse wishbones. The lightweight bodies, especially those from Zagato, were mounted on a traditional tubular steel frame. The factory bodies had two large headlights in the grill with two small lights in the fenders. There was a second series of the bodies, which had changes to comply with GT regulations. These changes resulted in four headlights in the fender.
The Fiat 8Vs did well in competition, especially those created by Zagato. The bodies were lightweight and the engines were highly tuned. In 1954, the Fiat 8V won the Championship and cemented these cars potential in history.
Of the 114 examples produced, 34 had coachwork by Carozzeria Speciale FIAT. Carrozzeria Zagato produced bodies for 32, which were known as 'Elaborata Zagato.' The rest of the bodies, which were mostly coupes with a few spyders, were created by Ghia and Vignale.
By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2009
For more information and related vehicles, click hereOf the 114 examples produced, many were unique. They had been designed for competition, specifically the two-liter class in the Italian Championship. The 2.0-liter V8 engines were fed through two Weber 36 DCF3 Carburetors and produced 105-115 horsepower, depending on configuration. There was a four-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel drum brakes, with an independent suspension comprised of coil springs, telescopic shocks, stabilizer bar and transverse wishbones. The lightweight bodies, especially those from Zagato, were mounted on a traditional tubular steel frame. The factory bodies had two large headlights in the grill with two small lights in the fenders. There was a second series of the bodies, which had changes to comply with GT regulations. These changes resulted in four headlights in the fender.
The Fiat 8Vs did well in competition, especially those created by Zagato. The bodies were lightweight and the engines were highly tuned. In 1954, the Fiat 8V won the Championship and cemented these cars potential in history.
Of the 114 examples produced, 34 had coachwork by Carozzeria Speciale FIAT. Carrozzeria Zagato produced bodies for 32, which were known as 'Elaborata Zagato.' The rest of the bodies, which were mostly coupes with a few spyders, were created by Ghia and Vignale.
By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2009
| Final Countdown Underway To South Florida's Premier Collector Car Auction | |
 | • Auctions America kicks off its 2013 auction season, March 22-24 with its highly anticipated Fort Lauderdale Collector Car Auction • Celebrating its 11th year, the multi-day auction features more than 550 quality collector cars • Latest feature attractions include an outstanding 1963 Shelby Cobra and a 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS • Digital catalog now available for download at auctionsamerica.com AUBURN, Indiana (February 27, 2013) – With the final countdown underway to its highly an...[Read more...] |
| Mercedes-Benz Classic at the 2012 Grossglockner Grand Prix | |
 | • Revival of the mountain race from the 1930s • Mercedes-Benz SSK and W 125 at the start • 92 bends, 14 hairpins, 15 kilometres and a 1300-metre altitude difference The Grossglockner mountain race was one of the most prestigious motor sports events of the 1930s. This year it will be revived with the 2012 Grossglockner Grand Prix to be held from 20 to 22 September 2012 and Mercedes-Benz will be there with some famous cars. In 1938, the brand took part for the first time. As a classic c...[Read more...] |
| Ferrari Club Of America-Southwest Region Hosts International Meet In Palm Springs | |
 | 50TH Anniversary of 250GT Enraptures Spirt of Ferrari with More than 150 Ferrari Vehicles to be Displayed The Ferrari Club of America International Meet will return to Southern California for the first time since 2002, to be held from October 10th to 14th in the Palm Springs desert playground. With Southern California being home to the largest concentration of Ferrari owners in the country, the 2012 FCA International Meet promises to be a spectacular event. The luxurious Hyatt Regency ...[Read more...] |
| Six Decades Of Ferrari At Mecum's Daytime Auction | |
 | 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza Headlines Select Offering of Italian Illuminati Mecum Auctions will present its 4th annual Monterey Daytime Auction, Aug. 16-18, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf course, featuring some of finest machines Ferrari has ever produced headlined by a 1954 750 Monza Spyder Scaglietti. By turns part of the Engelbert Stieger, Brando Wang, Walter Burani and Roberto Crippa collections, 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza Spyder Scaglietti S/N 0462MD...[Read more...] |
| Gooding & Company Announces the distinguished Sherman M. Wolf Ferrari Collection for its Pebble Beach Auctions | |
 | Gooding & Company, the acclaimed auction house celebrated for selling the world's most significant and valuable collector cars, is proud to announce that it will present the extraordinary Ferrari collection of Sherman M. Wolf at its Pebble Beach Auctions on August 18 & 19. The renowned Sherman M. Wolf Collection is comprised of a rare, alloy-bodied 1960 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione, a 1953 Ferrari 340 MM Spider, a 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC and a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, four excep...[Read more...] |
| Similar Automakers | |
| Alfa Romeo | Citroen |
| Lancia | Morgan |
| Opel | Peugeot |
| Renault | Seat |
| Skoda | Vauxhall |
| Similarly Sized Vehicles from 1954 |
| AC Ace |
| Maserati 250F |
| MG TF |
| Pegaso Z102B |
| Volkswagen 1200 Deluxe |
| Volkswagen Kombi Model 211 Microbus |
| Fiat: 1951-1960 |
| Similar Automakers |
| Fiat History |
| Other models by Fiat |
| Manufacturer Website |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1100 1200 124 128 131 | 1500GT 500 508 600 60HP | 850 8V Balilla Barchetta Bravo | Cinquecento Croma Dino Freemont Panda | Punto Ritmo Tipo 6 Topolino Type 56 | Ulysse Uno X 1/9 |
| 1953 8V |
