While Fiat were busy creating cheap and cheerful cars for the masses in the 1950s, they were also quietly working on creating their very own sports car to compete with the offerings from their Italian rivals. Their creation was a cocktail of gloriousness dubbed the Otto Vu, which combined a V8 engine, a Siata-fabricated chassis, and stylish factory coachwork. This factory-built coachwork was great and all, but designers like Ghia, Vignale, and in this case, Zagato wanted to put their own spin on Fiat’s creation.
Zagato took the already capable car and gifted it with a far racier look, as well as a host of competition upgrades, including lightweight seats, a new dashboard, and various alloy pieces. These components ensured this unique creation was as successful as it was beautiful, and in 1957 the then-owner campaigned the 8V in the VIII Rallye Sestrières, a 1,800km multi-day event that stretched from Sestrières in Turin to Rome, traversing the Italian Alps en route. The car would return home and finish 3rd in class and 19th overall, a strong result that was soon improved upon with a class win at the 1958 Rallye Automovilista Iberico.
After a lengthy and undoubtably costly restoration process, this Fiat now looks better than new, with the greatest possible accuracy to its 1953 configuration. This multiple Concours d’Elegance winner has seen its fair share of trophies over the years, both on the lawns and the race track, but it is showing no signs of slowing or losing its beauty, and will be one of the most talked-about cars as it rolls through RM Sotheby’s upcoming sale in Monterey on August 18th!
Monterey, 19 Aug
