La Fiat V8 che batté le Ferrari e che nessuno ricorda

The Fiat V8 that beat Ferrari and that no one remembers. In 1952, the small-car manufacturer stunned the entire world: at the Geneva Motor Show, Fiat, maker of the Topolino, unveiled a refined, hand-built grand tourer capable of challenging Ferrari and Maserati on their own turf. Thus was born the legendary Otto Vu, the only Fiat in history to feature a V8 engine, with its unusual 70-degree angle. This is the story of a masterpiece born by mistake from an unrealized luxury sedan project, dubbed the 8V for fear of a lawsuit from Ford. Only 114 examples were built between 1952 and 1954, a financial disaster but an absolute triumph on the track, with victories in the Italian 2-liter GT championship until 1959. You will discover the genius of Dante Giacosa, the visionary Zagato bodies with the famous double bubble, the space-age Supersonic by Ghia designed by Giovanni Savonuzzi, the red devil by Vignale, and the incredible connection with the Siata 208, which even ended up in Steve McQueen's garage. A car forgotten for decades due to the wrong name and now sought after at auction for over €1 million. The story of how a Fiat managed to outdo Italy's most noble sports cars and become the canvas of the greatest masters of design. Music: Eyes of Glory - Aakash Gandhi, When Johnny Comes Marching Home - Cooper Cannell. The photographs are from archive.org and are in the public domain.