"The Otto Vu, as it is called in Italy, is comparatively expensive, and it is the type of car for which there is a fairly limited demand, yet for the enthusiast requiring a fast 2-litre car, it would be difficult to find one which would provide better performance and roadholding and be more of a delight to drive,” we concluded in our road test of 9 July 1954.
So who was behind the 8V? Ferrari? Maserati? Lancia? Alfa Romeo? In fact, it was Fiat, a large-scale, mainstream company that was still making the 500 miniature of 1936 and had just launched the 1100, 1400 and 1900 as worthy but stodgy four-cylinder family cars.
Why act so out of character? The answer to that ultimately begins with World War II. With Europe in ruins, the US government enacted the Marshall Plan, which provided $13.3 billion (about £136bn today) to rebuild societies and economies.
In 1947, Fiat CEO Vittorio Valletta agreed at the request of Italian prime minister Alcide De Gasperi to cook up a new car to American tastes, to be not just a commercial tool but also a symbol of gratitude.
Of course, that meant it needed to be big and have a big engine. The suggestion was for a six, but engineering chief Dante Giacosa insisted on a V8, for its greater ease of design at a time when Fiat’s resources were stretched.
However, by the time that work on the Yankee Fiat was completed, Italy’s economy had returned to pre-war strength and the political will had faded. Furthermore, the touring saloon body designed by Pinin Farina wasn’t exactly loved.
So what to do with that lovely new V8? Well, with Turin set to embark on a massive expansion programme, why not create a V8 sports car to revive the brand’s sporting image? That was its logic, and in 1952 it revealed the 8V, with a coupé body designed and made in-house and bits of existing Fiats, including suspension from the 1100 and, at the rear, a drive unit from the Campagnola off-roader.
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