RAREST OF THE RARE
The collective response is one of unfeigned awe. The fanfare from within the covered trailer can only be that of a V8 being awoken from its slumber. It sounds less guttural than many of its type, but burbly all the same. And then the car is backed out slowly until it is revealed in its entirety. It is spectacular, that’s for sure, as befits a coachbuilt exotic that has emerged only recently from a five-year restoration. It’s just that onlookers are openly debating the identity of the marque, and none are even close. It’s enough to give any car low self-esteem.
But therein lies the appeal of the Fiat 8V. This most proletarian of marques has produced several landmark classics; cars beloved the world over. It’s just that it doesn’t ‘do’ exotica. Well, not often. When it does, the results are special, but even then there’s a pecking order. The Otto Vu in any of its many flavours is a thing of wonder, but one clothed by Alfredo Vignale is something else entirely. One of only two 8Vs ever built in open form, it’s two parts roadster, one part flying saucer, and wholly impressive.
By Fiat’s
