Fiat 8v Démon Rouge

A very unconventional design by Giovanni Michelotti, built by Vignale on the basis of the famous Fiat 8V. In 1953, at the Turin Motor Show, Michelotti showcased his creativity and inventiveness with this 'Demon Rouge' (red devil).

A very unconventional design by Giovanni Michelotti, built by Vignale on the basis of the famous Fiat 8V. In 1953, at the Turin Motor Show, Michelotti showcased his creativity and inventiveness with this Fiat 8V Demon Rouge (red devil). The semi circular, upright rear window under the overhanging roof is one of the most striking details. It is an aerodynamic trick to keep the rear window clean and dry in heavy rain. Something similar would later be used on the Ford Anglia and the Citroen Ami. The roof itself is largely made of plexiglass, in order to create the impression of an open car. The door handles are ingeniously integrated into the rear roof pillars. The car has no bumpers and the headlights are integrated into the grille. In 1955 the design won first prize in the Coppa Campione dItalia concours delegance. Almost fifty years later, in 2004, the car won the Best of Show award at the concours delegance at Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, the most prestigious automotive event in the Netherlands. The Fiat 8V Otto Vu in Italian is the only eight cylinder car Fiat has ever built. The sports car, intended for participation in the Mille Miglia, came onto the market in 1952. It was very expensive: in America it cost 6,000 dollars, almost twice as much as a Jaguar XK120. Exactly 114 examples of the 8V were built, several of them with special bodies by, among others, Zagato, Ghia and Vignale.