Fiat 8V Démon Rouge
An extremely unique and distinctive design by Giovanni Michelotti, built by Vignale and based on the famous Fiat 8V. Michelotti demonstrated his creativity and inventiveness with this Démon Rouge (red devil) at the Turin motor show in 1953.
The semi-circular, vertical rear window under the extended roofline is one of the most striking details. It was an aerodynamic trick intended to keep the rear window clean and dry during heavy rainfall. Something similar would later be applied to the Ford Anglia and the Citroën Ami. The roof itself is largely made of Plexiglas, to give the impression of an open car. The door handles are ingeniously incorporated into the rear pillars. There are no bumpers and the headlights are framed by the grille.
In 1955 the design won the first prize in the ‘Coppa Campione d’Italia’ Concours d’Elégance. Nearly fifty years later, in 2004, the car won the ‘Best of Show’ prize at the Concours d’Elégance at palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn.
The Fiat 8V – ‘Otto Vu’ in Italian – is the only eight-cylinder built by Fiat. Between 1952 and 1954 exactly 114 8Vs were built, some with special Ghia and Vignale coachwork.