The Fiat 8V racing coupé - a nice surprise!
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Summary
When the Geneva Motor Show opened on March 20, 1952, visitors to Fiat's spacious stand were in for a sensation. In addition to the well-behaved family cars 1100, 1400 and 1900 and the much-loved Topolino 500 C, the fabulous-looking Fiat 8V was presented to the public for the first time, and actually quite unexpectedly. Only 114 cars were built between 1952 and 1962. The article revisits the history and technology, garnished with historical and current images.
This article contains the following chapters
- First eight-cylinder in V at Fiat
- Independent wheel suspension
- Excellent aerodynamics
- Development and special versions
- The racing career of the Fiat 8V
Estimated reading time: 10min
Preview (beginning of the article)
When the Geneva Motor Show opened on March 20, 1952, visitors to Fiat's spacious stand were in for a sensation. In addition to the well-behaved family cars 1100, 1400 and 1900 and the much-loved Topolino 500 C, the fabulous-looking Fiat 8V was presented to the public for the first time, and actually quite unexpectedly. As the great English Fiat connoisseur and automotive historian Michael Sedgwick reports, the sleek coupé in metallic blue caught the eye with its no-frills front and bodywork design and the unconventional arrangement of the headlights. What really triggered the development of this thoroughbred competition vehicle in the huge Turin-based company remains open to conjecture today. Would it have been a tempting opportunity for the engineers to give the rather sedate Fiat 1900 the desired liveliness with a V8 engine with almost twice the power? Were they perhaps looking to build on the brand's great racing tradition in the early years? Was Turin dreaming of a prestigious sedan in the style of the later Fiat 130? Did they want to counter the new Lancia Aurelia with its unorthodox technology and sophistication? Had influential private drivers in the right office on the top floor called for a competitive Fiat? Were the designers in the engine department not working to capacity at the moment and did they want to keep the team busy over a lean period with its concentrated load of knowledge and experience? Be that as it may, the 8V was certainly not a Ferrari for the poor man, but rather an attractive and extremely interesting Fiat for amateurs. It cost around 25,000 francs in 1952. The Fiat 8V is an extraordinary automobile in many respects. Dante Giacosa, who had developed the successful Fiat 500 "Topolino" of 1936 together with Franco Fessia, was the chief engineer in charge in the post-war years.
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