Makes › Fiat › 8V › 8V (Otto Vu) · Rare production · 1952–1954 Extremely Rare
Fiat
8V (Otto Vu)
Fiat's V8 sports coupé, factory and coachbuilt (Zagato, Ghia Supersonic, Vignale) bodies; 114 built, 63 of them with Fabio Rapi factory bodies
Photo: Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland · CC BY-SA 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 114 Built
- Years
- 1952–1954
- Engine
- V8, overhead valves, front longitudinal · 1,996 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,996 cc
- Power
- 78.3 kW / 106 PSFactory: 105 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 190 km/hFactory: 190 km/h
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Fabio Luigi Rapi (Carrozzerie Speciali FIAT)
- 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 is the only Fiat road car with a V8 engine, a two-litre lightweight sports car aimed at reviving the maker's sporty image and successful in 1950s competition. The FCA Heritage example is also the only Fiat with a fibreglass body.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Fiat 8V (Otto Vu) (Wikimedia Commons: Fiat 8V)
Photo: Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland · CC BY-SA 2.0
Fiat 8V (Otto Vu) (Wikimedia Commons: Fiat 8V)
Photo: Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland · CC BY 2.0
Fiat 8V (Otto Vu) (Wikimedia Commons: Fiat 8V)
Photo: Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland · CC BY-SA 2.0
Fiat 8V (Otto Vu) (Wikimedia Commons: Fiat 8V)
Photo: MrWalkr · CC BY-SA 4.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionall Fiat 8V built (all bodies) | 1141,2,3 | 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
Fiat showed the 8V at the Geneva Motor Show in 1952 as a prototype with American-influenced styling but a modest two-litre displacement. The first version had two dual-barrel carburettors and 105 hp, soon raised to 115 hp; the second series, from 1954, used three carburettors for 127 hp and reached 190 km/h. A total of 114 cars were built between 1952 and 1954.
The cars raced in the Stella Alpina rally and the 12 Hours of Pescara. At Monza in 1954 Elio Zagato won the 2000 cc class of the Coppa Inter Europa, averaging over 155 km/h.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 8V (Otto Vu).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Tipo 1044 Independently researched |
| Layout | V8, overhead valves, front longitudinal2 |
| Cylinders | 82 |
| Displacement | 1,996 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,996 cc2 |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | OHV, 70-degree V84 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | 2 carburettors (first series; 3 carburettors on second series)2 |
| Power | 78.3 kW / 106 PSFactory: 105 hp · converted2Rating: manufacturerTech data lists 105 hp at 5200 rpm with 115 hp at 6000 rpm in brackets; the text adds 127 hp for the three-carburettor second series. |
| Power at | 5,200 rpm2 |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Rear2 |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Siata-built tubular semi-monocoque frame (Tipo 106)1,4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Independent2Page says four-wheel independent suspension but also that the rear axle is leaf-sprung; the wording is ambiguous so only the front is entered. |
| Rear suspension | Independent, double wishbones1 Independently researched |
| Brakes | 4-wheel Alfin drum4 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Fibreglass body (FCA Heritage collection car), under 50 kg2Applies to the Heritage collection car, not to the series cars. |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | 997 kgFactory: 997 kg2 |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 190 km/hFactory: 190 km/h2 |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not 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.
The 8V is the only Fiat with a V8 engine of 1996 cc. The FCA Heritage collection car has a fibreglass body weighing under 50 kg; the page calls it the only Fiat car with such a body.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
The FIAT 8V history: how a legend was born Level B carrozzieri-italiani.com
- 114 "8 VU's" were built totally by Fiat and various Coachbuilder
- advanced tubular semi-monocoque frame
- double wishbones front and rear derived from Fiat's 1100
-
2
The elegant and aerodynamic Fiat 8V Level A FCA Heritage (Stellantis Europe)
- A total of 114 units were produced between 1952 and 1954
- V8 Otto cycle, overhead valvees, 2 carburettors, front longitudinal 1996 cm3 (Tech data)
- see source
- front longitudinal 1996 cm3 (Tech data)
- first version featured two dual-barrel carburettors
- second series produced 127 hp thanks to three carburettors
- POWER 105 HP @ 5200 rpm (115 HP @6000 rpm) (Tech data)
- 105 HP @ 5200 rpm (Tech data)
- front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive
- four-wheel independent suspension
- only Fiat car with a fibreglass body, which weighs less than 50 kg
- WEIGHT 997 kg (dry) (Tech data)
- SPEED 190 km/h (Tech data)
- second series, which had a top speed of 190 km/h
- 3
-
4
1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata, lot 60 (Scottsdale 2016) Level C Bonhams
- the Tipo 104 motor featured an unusual 70° architecture
- only overhead-valve V-8 that Fiat ever built
- unusual 70° architecture
- chassis farmed out to Siata
- 4-Wheel Alfin Drum Brakes
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