To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The
Elkhart Collection event, 23 - 24 October 2020.
Estimate:
$1,400,000 - $1,650,000
- Among the most avant-garde coachwork on the 8V chassis
- Based upon the famous Demon Rouge design
- Well-maintained older restoration with its original engine
- Believed to have not yet been shown in the United States
THE FIAT 8V
Of all the famed Italian automakers, Fiat is not normally
recognized for their lavish coachbuilt grand touring cars. The
Italian automaker's first engines were four-cylinder units, often
of gargantuan proportions. 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 engine with eight
cylinders, and the chassis and bodies it resided in were just as
special as the engine.
The 8V's Tipo 104 engine featured 70-degree architecture and
advanced racing-inspired componentry, including a finned aluminum
sump, forged crankshaft, polished intakes and ports, and tubular
stainless-steel exhaust manifolds, all of them courtesy of Fiat's
renowned technical director, Dante Giacosa. It was installed in a
lightweight chassis and dressed in sporting-oriented custom
coachwork.
This 8V model, or Otto Vu in Italian, was built for two years only,
in 114 examples, and it 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. 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.
8V NUMBER 000080
Among the most beautiful, dramatic, and certainly unusual bodies on
the 8V chassis was the Demon Rouge, a unique show car designed by
Giovanni Michelotti and built by Vignale. It was one of only five
coupe bodies produced by Vignale for the 8V.
A demonstration of Michelotti's almost unbridled creativity, the
black-and-crimson "Red Devil" featured a long, tapered nose, with
the headlamps moved within an oval grille at the tip. No bumpers
were fitted, preserving the smooth aerodynamics of the design. The
most unusual and controversial feature was the roofline, a
Plexiglas panel that at the rear extended to form a lip over the
wraparound backlight, helping to keep the glass clean and dry in
poor weather.
Demon Rouge made its debut at the 1953 Turin Motor Show, where its
aggressiveness was very well received. Vignale took notice, and
Michelotti followed up with a subtler variation on the same theme,
this car, constructed on 8V chassis no. 106.000080.
The rather unconventional and polarizing roofline treatment was
replaced by a conventional design with a more dignified wraparound
rear window and very narrow front and rear pillars, similar to
Michelotti and Vignale's work on several Ferrari berlinettas of the
time. The front-end treatment was the same as the Demon Rouge,
including the headlights moved within the oval radiator shell, the
gorgeous curves of the doors, and Michelotti's trademark chromed
air intake fitted into a single bold, tapered stripe along the top
of the hood. The tail was sharply cut off, with the rear fenders
forming small fins on either side of the sloping fastback rear
deck.
Within, the interior was very simple, almost spartan, with the
driver facing a conventional, fully instrumented dashboard,
lacquered red, and a wood-rimmed steering wheel. The two seats were
competition-style buckets upholstered in pleated leather, with a
luggage shelf behind. Typical of Vignale, the hardware throughout
is elaborate but beautifully wrought, including door handles that
fit smoothly into the doors, released by push button � la the
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, and aggressive coachbuilders' badges.
The completed 8V was delivered in November 1955 to Giuseppe Gattai,
a resident of the seaside town of Viareggio in Lucca, on the coast
of the Tyrrhenian Sea, for whom it was registered as LU 22827.
Eventually it made its way via Belgium to Erich Traber's collection
in Switzerland alongside several other significant coachbuilt 8Vs.
A complete restoration was eventually undertaken, retaining the
original engine and finishing the car in a color scheme borrowed
from the Demon Rouge, with a black roofline and body stripe and
coordinated interior. It was from the Swiss collection that this
car and two other 8Vs were acquired and brought to the United
States for the current collection.
Well preserved some years after its restoration, this very special
8V is believed to have not been shown since its arrival stateside.
Accompanied by a tool kit, it would be wonderful for freshening and
concours competition, where it would be warmly welcomed for its
stunning avant-garde design-among the most striking fitted to any
8V chassis. It is a spectacular machine down to the last nut and
bolt.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/el20.
