Our idea of what automobiles will look like in the
future is constantly changing. In the mid-1950s, this is the form that the
Italians imagined for the future of the automobile. And this stunning specimen
is up for grabs.
It's a Fiat 8V Supersonic – a special model with
“jet age” bodywork by the famed carrozzeria Ghia. The model on which it was
based, known as the “Otto Vu,” packed a tiny 2.0-liter V8, but was forced to
adopt a different name since the copyright on the name V8 was owned by Ford –
the same company that would take over Ghia nearly two decades later.
The narrow-vee engine, producing just 105
horsepower, was originally designed for a luxury sedan before the project was
scrapped. So Fiat developed a coupe for it instead.
Ultimately, despite dominating its racing class,
Fiat retired the model after just two years and only 114 examples made. That
makes the 8V something of a rarity, but the Supersonic was even more so. Ghia
only completed eight of these special coupes, foreshadowing the design cues it
would later apply to Jaguars and Aston Martins.
Rendered in a striking shade of metallic teal, this
example will be auctioned off to the highest bidder by RM Sotheby's during the
Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in March. No estimate on its value has been
issued, but Gooding & Company sold one in Scottsdale six years ago for over US$ 1.7 million, and we won't be surprised to see this one fetch even more.
