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 $1.7 million, and we won’t be surprised to see this one fetch even more.
Photo Gallery
