FIAT 8V (Otto Vu) - 1952

[Everlasting]

At the Geneva motor show Fiat presented a little sensation to the amazed experts. A two-seater with an 8-cylinder V-engine with 2 litres displacement and high road performance as well as modernest aerodynamic conception. Officially only one single motor show prototype was approved by the Fiat top management. Internally and on their own hook chief engineer Dante Giacosa and Fabio Lucio Rapi decided to produce the vehicle in a number of pieces to enable Fiat to take part in races like the famous Mille Miglia. The V8-engine derives from tests Fiat undertook in the 50s with different engines for to build a luxury car. Because the Italian tax authorities wanted to tax engines with more than four cylinders marked higher the production of these luxury saloons was renounced. Though the two litre V8 engine has been ready already. Therefore in the development bureau of the Turin house the idea arose to use it for a sporty car. Even when already existing parts had been used for the undercarriage they however envinced some technical innovations, for example independent wheel suspension in front and rear. Out of the 114 specimen 40 pieces had been built by Fiat body making. However very soon the most important Italian body workers adopted the Fiat 8V-chassis. While Pininfarina paneled an 8V with a body work in 1955, which could not deny its stylistic kinship to Ferrari, Ghia produced a series of 50 Coupés. Vignale mounted five or six samples, all showing a different shape. Even a convertible was manufactured.

pics:

Fiat 8V with factory-made body work







8V Pininfarina



Vignale 1954



Elaborata Zagato 1954



Ghia



Ghia Supersonic 1954

Whereas Ugo Zagato tried to optimize the body work for racing. He accountered 30 specimens. His son Elio Zagato: "Sometimes I ask myself whether my career as racing driver would have given me such a satisfaction without the Fiat Ottovu (8V). Probably not. This car simply gave everything to me. I've never made no secret of it that this car of all Zagato's is the most beautiful. My opinion surely is prejudiced by the fact that I performed my most exciting races with this car. It never let me down and mostly I was waved at with the chequered flag as winner on the home stretch."

8V Zagato (1955)
With vaulted double bubble roof

Because originally the V8-engine should be mounted into a straight saloon the engineers set great store by suppleness and smoothness. When it was taken over into the 8V it was revised for sportive action. So above all the valve control of the light metal engine had been redrafted. In the first version the engine equipped with two Weber double carburetors had 105 PS at 6000 rpm and a compression rate of 8.5:1 for all that, later it performed 115 PS thanks to a increased compression rate. By cooperation with Siata the last models had 127 PS. BTW the name 8V (Otto Vu) was achieved by a mistake. The Fiat technicians by mistake went by that the expression "V8" is reserved for the American producers, therefore they simply flipped it over. Engine: V8 with 70° Displacemet: 1996 cc Leistung: 105-127 PS at 6600 rpm Top speed: 190-220 km/h Weight: 970 kg

[nthfinity]

hehe

if you are going to talk about the 8V, you have to mention the Siata

BTW, there used to be a 53 8V in the family... pitty its no there anymore

nice post everlasting

[numerouno]

Lovely car, thanx for the info everlasting