Rare Car Archive

Makes › Fiat Italy › 8V › 8V Coupé (Mario Boano, 1953) · Factory competition · 1953 Extremely Rare

Fiat
8V Coupé (Mario Boano, 1953)

One-off Boano-designed 8V coupe, chassis 106.000042.

Body: Boano
Fiat 8V Coupé (Mario Boano, 1953) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Fiat 8V Coupé (Mario Boano, 1953) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
114BuiltFactory reported
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
114 Built
Years
1953
Engine
V8, 70-degree vee, front longitudinal · 1,996 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,996 cc
Power
85.8 kW / 117 PSFactory: 115 hp · converted
Top speed
Not yet verified
Body
Boano
Designer
Mario Boano
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The 8V was Fiat's only eight-cylinder road car, a lightweight two-litre sports coupe built in 114 examples between 1952 and 1954. It won numerous period competition results. This 1953 coupe was bodied by Ghia to a design credited to Mario Boano, and the auction catalogue calls it the only non-Supersonic 8V that Ghia bodied.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityExtremely Rare 114 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionFiat 8V cars built 1952-1954, all bodies (series total, not this car alone) 1141 Factory production Factory reported

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The 8V was shown at the Geneva Salon in March 1952 with a 1996 cc V8 and was built with factory bodies as well as by coachbuilders. Chassis 106 000042 was sold new to Ghia on 10 June 1953, and the finished car left Ghia about five months later.

According to the auction catalogue, the car was imported to the United States by 1957, and it later spent many years in California. Its present engine, number BS099, was fitted around that time.

The car was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2002 and 2010, and placed second in class at Villa d'Este in 2008.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard 8V Coupé (Mario Boano, 1953).

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutV8, 70-degree vee, front longitudinal2,1 Independently researchedBase 8V engine. Same engine family; the auction text does not give the layout.
Cylinders83 Independently researched
Displacement 1,996 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,996 cc3 Independently researchedS2 and S3 also give 1996 cc.
BoreNot yet verified
StrokeNot yet verified
Compression ratioNot yet verified
Valvetrainoverhead valves3 Independently researched
Fuel systemtwo twin-choke Weber 36 DCF 3 carburettors2 Independently researchedBase 8V figure from conceptcarz. The auction text does not state the carburettor set. S3 says the second-series car had three carburettors.
Power 85.8 kW / 117 PSFactory: 115 hp · converted3 Independently researchedConflicts: S2 gives 125 hp for the final 104.006 engine, and S3 gives 105 HP at 5200 rpm for the early car. This car's engine version is not stated.
Power at 6,000 rpm1 Independently researchedBase 8V figure paired with the 115 hp rating.
TorqueNot yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

Gearboxfour-speed manual3 Independently researched
Gears43 Independently researched
Driven wheelsrear1 Independently researchedBase 8V figure.

Chassis, body & dimensions

Chassistubular chassis2 Independently researchedBase 8V figure; not confirmed for this body.
Front suspensionindependent, coil springs (four-wheel independent)3 Independently researched
Rear suspensionindependent, coil springs (per auction text)3 Independently researchedConflict: S3 describes a leaf-sprung rear axle on its factory-bodied 8V. The auction text is used.
Brakesfour-wheel hydraulic drum3 Independently researched
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
Wheelbase 2,400 mmFactory: 94.5 in · converted3 Independently researchedS2 gives 94.50 in.
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speedNot yet verified
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Chassis number 106 000042 is the identifier in the auction catalogue. The coupe has Ghia bodywork with a concentric oval 8V grille with twin horizontal bars, and a muted Ghia kick-up in the rear wing. The engine fitted today is BS099, installed around 1957, so the engine number is not the original car's.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Fiat 8V (heritage story) Level A FCA Heritage (Stellantis)
    • A total of 114 units were produced between 1952 and 1954.
    • front longitudinal 1996 cm³
    • 105 HP @ 5200 rpm (115 HP @6000 rpm)
    • longitudinal, front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  2. 2
    1954 Fiat 8V Level C Daniel Vaughan · Conceptcarz.com · 2019-04-01
    • The 70-degree V configuration, eight-cylinder alloy engine
    • had two twin-choke Weber 36 DCF 3 carburetors
    • The tubular chassis used an all-round independent suspension
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  3. 3
    1953 Fiat 8V Coupé by Ghia | Arizona 2014 | RM Sotheby's (lot 103, chassis 106 000042) Level C RM Sotheby's
    • 1,996 cc overhead-valve V-8 engine
    • 115 bhp, 1,996 cc overhead-valve V-8 engine
    • four-speed manual gearbox
    • four-wheel coil-spring independent suspension
    • four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes
    • Wheelbase: 94.5 in.
    Accessed 2026-11-13

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