Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 106 000065
Engine No. 104.000 000116
In 1946, Fiat engineer Dante Giacosa and his team began the secret
development of the Tipo 104 V8 engine, originally envisioned for a
luxury sedan, before Fiat pivoted to create the dedicated "Otto V�"
sports car platform around it. The bespoke 70-degree V8 engine was
a bold departure from Fiat's tradition of modest four-cylinder
powerplants, displacing 1,996-cc and producing a spirited 105
horsepower in standard tune, and up to 127 horsepower in factory
Corsa form. Twin Weber 36 DCF3 carburetors and a four-speed gearbox
delivered smooth, tractable power to a lightweight Siata-built
tubular chassis, while hydraulic drum brakes and fully independent
suspension endowed the Otto V� with composure beyond any Fiat of
the era.
By February 1952, the first prototype, styled in-house by Chief
Designer Fabio Luigi Rapi in Fiat's Reparto Carrozzerie Speciali,
made its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The Rapi's
striking design for the 8V combined elegant, aerodynamic berlinetta
lines with covered rear wheels and two large headlights integrated
into the grille. From chassis 000035 onward, Fiat shifted to a
Series II design with twin headlights in the fenders, while also
supplying rolling chassis to celebrated coachbuilders Ghia,
Vignale, and Zagato to be clothed in bespoke bodies. Despite its
acclaim as an engineering masterpiece, the Otto V� remained
something of an outlier within Fiat's volume-driven business model.
As a result, only 114 examples were completed before production
ceased in 1954.
Those who did buy the 8V were eager to test the platform in
competition, with several privateer entries making their mark in
the Italian GT championship. The Otto V� was so dominant, in fact,
that it claimed the 2.0-liter title five years running from 1954 to
1958. The majority of these competitive 8Vs were bodied by
legendary Milanese firm Zagato, initially modifying unsold factory
bodies-dubbed Elaborata-and later crafting its own bespoke bodies
for the platform. With their beautifully proportioned designs and
lightweight aluminum construction, Zagato's coachwork endowed
short-wheelbase 8V chassis with improved aerodynamics and agile
performance. Each was hand-built according to individual customer
specifications with various color choices and design features,
meaning that virtually every car that left the workshop was
one-of-a-kind. Even the son of company founder Ugo Zagato, Elio
Zagato, claimed victory behind the wheel of a Zagato-bodied 8V,
winning the Berlin Grand Prix at AVUS and setting the fastest lap
in the process.
Among the most remarkable examples of this collaboration between
Fiat and Zagato emerges chassis 000065, which possesses the
remarkable distinction of being the only right-hand drive 8V ever
built. Factory records indicate that Fiat completed this particular
chassis on 6 October 1953, subsequently delivering it as a rolling
chassis to the renowned coachbuilder. At Zagato's workshops, the
Fiat chassis was dressed in the elegant, lightweight aluminum
Berlinetta coachwork it wears today. As a first-series 8V Zagato,
this car features the clean, uncluttered lines that lacked an
enlarged hood scoop or side vents on later examples. Originally
finished in white, the completed Zagato-bodied Fiat was originally
delivered to Mrs. Idelbe Valaguzza and registered in Milan in March
1955.
Over the following two years, the car became a familiar sight at
Italy's most important racing circuits and hill climbs. Driving
duties were entrusted to Ottavio Guarducci, renowned for his
campaigns with two-liter Ferraris during the early 1950s. On 29
June 1955, he contested the Trieste-Opicina hill climb, finishing
6th place, before entering the IX Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti on 10
July, where he again placed 6th in class. The highlight of the 1955
campaign came on 11 September at Monza's Coppa Inter-Europa, where
Guarducci drove 000065 to an outright victory-defeating a
formidable grid consisting of Maserati A6G/54 Zagatos, Mercedes 300
SLs, Porsche 356 Carreras, and nearly a dozen other Fiats including
that of Elio Zagato in 2nd place! The year concluded with a valiant
effort at the Targa Florio in October, where Guarducci and
co-driver Lietti completed 11 laps of the demanding Sicilian
circuit-just two short of the winner-covering an impressive 492
miles.
Guarducci's final competitive entry with the 8V Zagato didn't occur
until 2 September 1956, when he returned to Monza for the VIII
Coppa Inter-Europa. After contending with Ferrari 250s,
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs, and several other 8Vs through challenging
wet conditions, Guarducci finished in 9th position overall and 5th
in class. Following 000065's retirement from front-line
competition, the car sold to its second owner, Alessandro Cantoni
of Piacenza, in December 1957. The Fiat continued to change hands
in the region over the next several years, first to Piacenza dealer
Inter Touring in March 1958, then to Augusto Bergonzi in June 1960,
and finally to a Signor Brosi of Cremona in July 1961.
The car is thought to have remained in Italian hands through the
1970s and 80s, with records indicating it participated in the
then-newly-formed Mille Miglia Storica on three occasions in 1982,
1984, and 1986, under a Mr. Milesi and a Mr. Gnutti. In 1990,
000065 was acquired by Andrea Zagato, grandson of founder Ugo
Zagato and current company CEO. With plans to continue
participating in the Mille Miglia Storica, Andrea Zagato
commissioned an extensive restoration under his personal
supervision. A Certificate of Recognition on file, signed by Andrea
Zagato and dated 30 March 2007, confirms that he personally
conducted the restoration of the engine and coachwork for his
participation in the Mille Miglia Storica. During this process,
sections of the alloy bodywork were renewed using the traditional
methods and materials employed by the company decades earlier.
Upon completion of the restoration, Andrea Zagato used the 8V in
the 1990, 1991, and 1992 Mille Miglia Storica-sharing driving
duties with Japanese collector Shozo Fujita on the first two
occasions. Zagato then participated in the 1992 La Festa Mille
Miglia in Japan, before selling the car to Fujita who would later
participate in the 2000 edition of La Festa Mille Miglia. Chassis
000065 subsequently spent some years in the Netherlands during
which it underwent an engine rebuild courtesy of Jos Moorman at
MOTO Classic in 2003. The car then returned to Italy under the care
of Ruggero Magnoni-entering his collection of important mid-century
Italian sports cars at his family's estate on Lake Maggiore. In
2007, the car was issued its FIVA Identity Card, continuing its
second life of competition in historic tours. Over the next several
years, the car participated in the Mille Miglia Storica of 2008,
2009, and 2011, as well as the 2011 Coppa Milano-Sanremo in the
hands of Magnoni.
Since the current caretaker's acquisition in 2012, this exceptional
Fiat 8V has benefited from well-documented, meticulous maintenance.
The car has received extensive care from the experts at Motion
Products Inc. of Wisconsin, including dynamometer testing, complete
electrical system overhauls, carburetor rebuilds, engine tuning,
transmission repairs, and preparation work totaling thousands of
dollars across multiple visits over the past decade. Additionally,
the car has received further attention from Imola Motorsports and
Tim Keseluk's Vintage & Exotic Cars to address fuel system
functions. The scope of work-documented in numerous invoices on
file-demonstrates the current owner's commitment to maintaining
Fiat to the highest sta...for more information please contact the
seller.
