1954 Fiat 8V Rapi 2nd Series “Carrozeria Speciale”

s/n 106*000105*, Engine No. 000163

Silver Grey with Red Upholstery and Grey Trim

Fiat is one of Italy’s oldest and greatest car manufacturers and, although remarkably successful in early motor racing, has made surprisingly few real sports cars. The Turin firm won the French Grand Prix in 1907 and again in 1922 when Nazzaro won the race at 79.10mph in the 2-liter Fiat. Yet the first notable sports car to emerge was, arguably, the 1933 Fiat 508 “Balilla”, following several class wins by various Fiats in the Mille Miglias of the late 1920s and early 30s.

Fiat sprung something of a surprise at the 1952 Geneva Motor Show when they introduced their next competition car; the two liter vee-eight engined 8V. It was designed for motor racing and became very successful; its long and distinguished record including the 2 liter GT Championship of Italy in 1954. The light alloy V8 engine was novel in that the angle between cylinder banks was 70 degrees to keep the unit narrow, and the 8V’s chassis was of tubular steel: suspension was independent all round using components from other Fiat models.

Dante Glacosa supervised the design and, because only 114 8V’s were constructed during the two year production period, they were mostly hand built. Similarly, the steel bodies were handcrafted at Fiat, Ghia, or Zagato, and welded to the chassis frame. The body shape was evolved in a wind tunnel. The 8V chassis and running gear were used by Fiat to take a gas turbine engine for research in 1954, a testament to their developmental efforts.

Fiat built 34 cars with their own original factory “Carrozzeria Speciale” design, after which this was revised. For what became known as the second series “Carrozeria Speciale”, the secondary pair of headlights which had formerly sat inside the grill were now joined with those on the wings, rear wheel spats were omitted, and the whole effect was of a more refined and modern look. In the interim, the two piece windscreen was kept as appears on this car, but this was also later superseded with a wraparound screen.

Standard trim gave the car 105bhp at 5,600rpm, but Fiat offered more potent versions of its competition Berlinetta, with twin Weber carburetors becoming available, as on this car, increasing power to 115bhp.

The Autocracy would comment “this trim 2 liter two seater sports saloon attracts considerable attention even in its native Turin, which no doubt contains a higher proportion of artistic and well-balanced bodywork than most other cities.” They finished their report stating that the 8V, “is the type of car for which there is fairly limited demand, yet for the enthusiast requiring a fast 2 liter it would be difficult to find one which would provide better performance and road-holding and be more of a delight to drive.”

This car’s long term owner, Christopher Brookes Dickel, was born on the 7th of August 1942 and was a car enthusiast from an early age. Twenty five years ago he found his perfect vocation in life when he joined renowned restorers Hill and Vaughn, working initially at their shop on Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica and later becoming Sales Director when they moved to Glencoe Avenue in Marina del Rey. Multilingual, his pursuit of knowledge about the cars knew no bounds, allowing him to understand the histories of cars, engineers and technical information even when written in their mother tongue, and enabling him to source and collect cars form Italy and France. It is not surprising therefore that someone with such a strong appreciation of European cars was attracted to a Fiat Otto Vu. But this particular example was found in Kentucky, rather than overseas, having been imported from Fiat Gruppo Automobili in Turin by its former owner Ron Nichols in October 1976.

Chris Dickel rebuilt the car entirely himself, with constant liaison with an Italian, Joseph Migliore of Turin, who provided advice and spares when necessary. The car was first exhibited at the 1995 Concorso Italiano, even though restoration was not completed by then. Shortly after it was finished, the 8V was featured in an article by Winston Goodfellow in Automobile Quarterly (Volume 36, December 1996). After Mr. Dickel passed away that year, his wife Michelle Bellet Dickel took over the car and commissioned further restorative work by Bill Erickson of Ventura. Following this, the car was entered at Pebble Beach in 1999, and then in 2000 returned to its country of origin to campaign the Mille Miglia in Mr. Erickson’s hands.

The current owner is a very well informed, historically-minded Otto Vu enthusiast who purchased this wonderful example from Raymond Milo after Christie’s 2004 Pebble Beach Auction. During the current ownership period, the car has been brought up to top mechanical form in a no expense spared fashion by respected Italian automobile restorer Conrad Stevenson of Berkeley, California. This work included a rebuild of the engine from the crankshaft up, replacing parts as required. The transmission was also rebuilt, and other smaller items have been addressed as needed. Since this work was completed the car has performed faultlessly on the California Mille two years running. The power plant remains dry and tidy, starts extremely easily, and pulls strong with exceptionally gratifying throttle response. The transmission shifts smoothly and accurately- a wonderful complement to the lightweight and agile nature of the driving experience.

Cosmetically, this example is best described as having a light, consistent patina, making it ideal for driving events. The car is by no means rough, and could be casually shown and will likely generate significant interest as it could easily be perceived as a totally original car. The body is straight and solid with no evidence of corrosion or collision repairs. The paint work is somewhat oxidized, but is without any significant chips or scratches. The chrome and aluminum detailing is straight and intact, although showing some light pitting around the window frames. The car sits on painted Borrani wire wheels with bare aluminum rims wearing period correct Michelin X 165R 400 tires, with a matching spare.

Both the engine bay and the underside, while not overly detailed, are representative of a very well cared for, structurally solid, and mechanically sound automobile.

The interior of Otto Vu is an impressive display of Spartan execution and deco styling. The factory gauges are in place and in fine order, as is the exceptionally desirable flat Nardi wood rimmed steering wheel. The headliner and door panel upholstery is excellent, while the seats and carpet show very minor aging. The wildly complex and fully adjustable passenger foot support is a testament to the no expense sparred nature of the design and construction of the Otto Vu.

A Fiat 8V is an unusual, but charismatic and eminently usable sports car, and today offers an instantly recognizable entry for a host of retrospective events including the Mille Miglia, which this example has previously completed. This particular car is a tremendously appealing and extremely unique car that is sure to appeal to the sophisticated collector who appreciates this car’s innumerable charms. With this matching numbers car comes records for the current ownership period outlining the work described above. We welcome inspections and encourage seriously interested parties to visit with us and take it for a ride, as it does not disappoint.