To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The
Elkhart Collection event, 23 - 24 October 2020.
Estimate:
$1,000,000 - $1,250,000
- Fiat's 1950s "supercar"
- Stunning, subtle Vignale coachwork
- Believed to have been exhibited at the VII Concorso d'Eleganza
di Roma, 1954
- Documented in Tony Adriaensens's tome on the model, Otto
Vu
- Extensively researched by Italian car registrar, John de
Boer
- Among the few 8Vs to retain its original engine
FIAT OTTO VU
Of all the famed Italian automakers, Fiat is not normally
recognized as producing lavish, coachbuilt grand touring cars. The
Italian automaker's first engines were four-cylinder units, often
of enormous size. Fiat produced its first six-cylinder engine in
1907 and even a V-12 from 1921 to 1922. However, it was not until
1952 that Fiat would produce an eight-cylinder power plant.
The 8V, or Otto Vu in Italian, was built for two years only, with
production of 114 examples, and remains one of the marque's most
legendary motor cars to this day. It was the star of the Geneva
Salon in March 1952, and it goes without saying that this new Fiat
got lots of attention from the motoring press. Road & Track called
it "the biggest surprise of the year," and The Motor remarked that
"the last thing which had been expected from Italy's largest car
factory was a truly streamlined 2-seater saloon." With its potent
new power plant, which was clothed by bodies designed by the
world's finest coachbuilders, everyone knew that this was truly a
special automobile in every sense of the word.
CHASSIS NUMBER 000047
The distinctively handsome Vignale-bodied coupe shown here, chassis
number 000047, was originally exported to Turin on 11 June 1953
finished in verde. The design is distinguished by its flared rear
fenders, forming finned flying buttresses on either side of the
decklid and inset rear window; a distinctive oval radiator opening
flanked by chrome "bumperettes" (echoed in the rear) and carrying a
simple egg-crate insert; and delicate chrome trim around the
doorsills and windows. Features of the car, including the round
headlights and the design of the front fenders, are echoed in other
Vignale designs of the period, including OSCAs and Ferrari 375
Americas. Low windows and a high beltline exaggerate the power and
personality of the lines. The interior is understated, yet elegant,
with pleated leather bucket seats facing a dashboard with a full
complement of simple round Veglia gauges.
As noted in Tony Adriaensens's Otto Vu, the car is believed to have
first been displayed at the VII Concorso d'Eleganza di Roma on
12-13 June 1954, though slight trim differences later noted put
this up for debate. The car was then delivered to its original
owner, Alberto Carpanelli, of Alessandria. It was first registered
as AL 40085 on 9 July 1954 and was later re-registered in Perugia
as PG 30151. Further records indicate that the car was exported to
the United States from Genoa sometime around 1957, at which point
it had been refinished in a darker green than the original hue. In
1960, the 8V was registered in California by Phil Hildreth, who
subsequently sold the car, along with another Fiat, to Al
Johnston.
By 1971 the car was registered to Gerald Hoskins of Los Angeles and
then to another local man by the name of Dan Smith. Smith in turn
sold the car to John O'Donnell of New Jersey, from whom it was then
acquired by Jarl de Boer in April 1982. At this time the car was
added to the "Registry of Italian Oddities" by his son and noted
historian of such Italian cars, John de Boer. Several years later
the car was reunited with its original engine, which had been
replaced around 1964 during Al Johnston's ownership. The de Boers
retained the 8V until 1988 when it was sold to Tom Hart of Reno,
Nevada and subsequently purchased by the Blackhawk Collection in
Southern California.
The 8V was refinished in red over a tan leather interior as part of
the restoration, which was completed in 1990. Two years later, it
was bought by Erich Traber, in whose Swiss collection it remained
for 25 years before the current owner acquired it. Well preserved,
the car is noteworthy for retaining its matching-numbers engine, as
is documented in historian Tony Adriaensens's book, Otto Vu. Many
8Vs were driven rather hard by their original owners, commonly
resulting in the loss of its original power plant, but this
example's early historical documentation meant that its original
engine was preserved and ultimately reunited with the car.
As one of very few 8Vs still with their original engine, and with
its striking and attractive Vignale design, this is among the most
exciting surviving examples of the world-famous Otto Vu, an Italian
"supercar" of the Jet Age.To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/el20.