The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
Vignale offered various bodies for the Fiat 8V: five coupes, one spider and one coupe Corsa were built. As one of the last models, the aggressive looking 8V ‘Demon Rouge’ was presented in 1954, however the chassis is dated 1952.
The Fiat 8V Demon Rouge, an exceptional creation by Giovanni Michelotti and crafted by Vignale on the renowned Fiat 8V chassis, debuted at the Turin Motor Show in 1955, showcasing Michelotti’s ingenuity and forward-thinking design principles. Named “Démon Rouge” (red devil), this car captivated audiences with its distinctive features, including a semi-circular, vertical rear window integrated under an elongated roofline. This design element served an aerodynamic purpose, ensuring the rear window remained clean and dry even during heavy rain—a concept later adopted by other car manufacturers like Ford and Citroën. One of the Fiat 8V Demon Rouge’s most striking aspects is its roof, predominantly constructed from Plexiglas, which gives the illusion of an open-top vehicle. Ingeniously concealed door handles in the rear pillars further enhance its sleek and uncluttered profile. Notably, the car eschews traditional bumpers, and the headlights are elegantly framed within the grille, emphasizing its streamlined appearance. In 1955, the Fiat 8V Demon Rouge earned the prestigious first prize at the ‘Coppa Campione d’Italia’ Concours d’Elegance, solidifying its reputation as a masterpiece of automotive design. Nearly five decades later, in 2004, it achieved further acclaim by winning the ‘Best of Show’ award at the renowned Concours d’Elegance at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, Netherlands—a testament to its enduring appeal and timeless design. The Fiat 8V, nicknamed “Otto Vu” in Italian, remains Fiat’s only eight-cylinder model. Introduced in 1952 primarily for competing in events like the Mille Miglia, it was a high-performance sports car known for its exclusivity and price tag, which exceeded that of many prestigious contemporaries. With just 114 units produced, each featuring bespoke coachwork by Zagato, Ghia, or Vignale, the Fiat 8V stands as a rare and coveted piece of automotive history, celebrated for its engineering prowess and enduring aesthetic allure.
The story of Carrozzeria Vignale represents one of the many somewhat forgotten success stories born against the backdrop of an Italy that was torn apart by the Second World War and which, starting from the end of the 1950s, was able to recover enough to know a real miracle. economical just a few years later.
In March 1952, Fiat surprised the world at the Geneva Motor Show with the Fiat 8V. A two-seater sports car that was also designed as a racing car. What was surprising was that Fiat had not shown any interest in re-entering the racing scene up to this point.
“Soffio di Satana” is the moniker coined by Eng. Anderloni, the founder of Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, for a model of the Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Turismo. Anderloni meticulously designed and crafted this model with a distinctive, aerodynamic, and exquisitely elegant style. During that era, it was a trend to assign demonic names to exceptionally beautiful, aggressive, and captivating cars, evoking the allure of speed and the mythical notion of the demon.
