Mr. Claus has the ability to whizz across the night’s sky with ease, all thanks to his trusty reindeers pushing out an impressive 9 horsepower at any given time. With the right altitude, a bit of wind behind him and a fair few mince pies in his belly, Santa’s Christmas duties have become something of a walk in the park as the years have gone by, but what if he wanted to ditch flight for some twisty back roads? Well, this scarlet Fiat Otto Vu, or 8 V from The Houtkamp Collection may just be the ultimate sleigh.
This impossibly rare machine, one of just 34 ever created, is believed to be one of a mere seven that are still on the road today, and is perhaps one of the most used and adored out of those remaining cars. Built as a worthy competitor to its fellow Italian adversaries, the 8V’s Tipo 106 chassis was one of the world’s most advanced at the time, rivalling that produced by the likes of Ferrari or Maserati with four-wheel independent suspension and Borrani wire wheels with Rudge knock-off hubs.
Between the first and second series of the Otto Vu, it is the earlier Series I such as this one which is considered as the most beautiful. Styled by Carrozzerie Speciali FIAT in Lingotto, each model was dressed from the bare chassis with an elegant new coupe design by Fabio Lucio Rapi, one that was aerodynamically fine-tuned in Turin’s then state-of-the-art wind tunnel. Many prospective clients during its official debut during the 1952 Geneva Motor Show fell head-over-heels in love with the styling and, in particular, the art deco grill that extended through the front bumper and into the bonnet. Design-wise, this was more than just a car to pose in, more still than a thoroughbred racer ready to beat Enzo Ferrari, but a combination of both, and one that processes a true jewel-like presence, wherever the car may end up.
Sat under the Fiat’s hood was a 1,996 cc 70-degree V8. At 5,600 rpm, the engine produced 105 hp in standard form, giving a top speed of 190 km/h. Of the small number of cars produced, some went on to achieve incredible successes, such as the one driven by Carlo Abarth and Guido Scagliarini to a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This example, however, has lived a very careful life and spent much of its time in the United Kingdom. In its early days, it was raced at local and regional events around Britain, before being passed to multiple owners around the country and eventually making its way onto the concours scene, bringing some beauty to Goodwood Festival of Speed’s Cartier Lawn in 2001.
After the concours events were complete, it was time for the Otto Vu to go racing, and between 2002 and 2008, it led a high-speed life conquering the world’s best motorsport events, from Le Mans Legends to Tour de France Auto, and Goodwood Revival to the Mille Miglia! It was later sold again in 2020, where the owner spent an eye-watering 400,000 euros on restoring the car to a better-than-new condition. The result is the stunning machine you see before you, with the quality of dutch workshop Strada e Corsa’s work being recognised on numerous occasions, with overall and class victories at Villa d’Este, Pebble Beach, Palm Beach Cavallino Classic and other prestigious events. As Christmas sleighs or even presents go, we think this ruby red motoring icon is an absolute must for any Italian car lover!
