FIAT 8V VIGNALE

Country of Manufacture: Italy     Vin #: 106000051
Model Type: 2 Door Coupe
Body Designer: Vignale
Engine: Fiat V8 (1996cc)
Horsepower: 115 bhp at 6000 rpm
Torque: 106.7 lb at 4600rpm
Transmission: Fiat 4-Speed Gearbox
Suspension:
Front- Independent, transverse wishbones, coil springs enclosed in a casing, telescopic shock absorbers, transverse stabilizer bar
Rear- Independent, transverse wishbones, coil springs enclosed in a casing, telescopic shock absorbers, transverse stabilizer bar
Brakes:
Front- 11.42 inch by 2.17 inch drums
Rear- 11.42 inch by 2.17 inch drums
Top Speed: 120 mph

History: Fiat’s first V8 engine was designed and developed by Dante Giacosa and was originally intended to power a luxury car using a elongated Fiat 1400 chassis, but, due to adverse weight considerations, was never put into production. Working together with designer Fabio Luigi Rapi, the two developed the rigid chassis and fastback design inspired by the Fiat 1100S Coupe of 1948. The prototype debuted at the Geneva Auto Show on March 20, 1952. The car was advanced for the time in that it featured all independent suspension and a double shell body which when welded to the chassis, became stressed members. The basic chassis and body design were more conducive to racing and never really intended for mass production. 8V chassis production ended in August 1954 although various coachbuilders continued to produce cars through 1959.

Production: In total there were 114 Fiat 8V chassis built between 1952 and 1955. Of these, there were 58 factory-bodied cars (the first 6 chassis were built by Siata for Fiat) designed by Rapi and built in 2 series (30 Series 1 single headlight competition cars and 28 Series 2 cars with slanting quad headlights). In addition, there were 3 chassis shipped from Torino with no records as to their eventual destination. Pininfarina built 1 car. Zagato built 21 cars of its own design and an additional 6 coupes known as Elaborata’s; essentially a factory Rapi body modified by Zagato to include the typical "Double Bubble" roofline, a common feature to many Zagato cars. Ghia built 15 cars and included in this total are 6 futuristic "Supersonic" cars with their rocketship design features. Vignale built a total of 10 cars comprising 1 convertible and 9 different coupe designs. This particular car is one of those 9 Vignale built cars.

This car was exhibited at Pebble Beach in 2002 and placed 1st in the Fiat 8V Class.

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