Description:
1954 FIAT 8V Berlinetta Carozzeria Speciale by Rapi
We are very much pleased to offer you this rare and exceptional Fiat 8V Berlinetta with special bodywork by factory designer Rapi and chassis number 000093.
It is part of our collection of six different 8V Siata and Fiat cars, which is already quite exceptional.
A total of only 114 Fiat 8V chassis were build, but about 19 different body types were constructed, all of them by some of the most famous Italian coachbuilders such as Vignale, Zagato, Ghia, Pininfarina and Rapi
History of the car:
- This 8V is in an outstanding original condition, mostly un restored and extremely well preserved. It is a second series by Rapi with the beautiful and unique ‘teardrop’ style body. The aerodynamic lines inspire sport as well as elegance and style.
- 000093 has extremely good history which is fully documented It was first registered on 28/06/1954 with Torino license nr. TO 538972 by no one else them the factory itself, in name of their “dipartimento esperienze”, their experimental department at Lingotto, where they had the race track build on the factory roof. It is uncertain at this point why Fiat kept the car during a period of about 3 years before selling it and what the reason was to keep it in the experimental department. Today, historians have not found out about this interesting element.
So about 3 years later on March 12, 1957 the factory sold the car to its first and only private registered owner, Giusseppe di Italo Vercellina, a pharmacist of then 59 years old and living in the city of Vercelli, not far away from Torino. The car was registered with license nr VC84479.
The documents that come with the car show that Vercellina kept the car until he died in 1971. At this moment, the car was transferred into the names of his children, who reluctantly sold the car in 1973 to finally get out of the estate.
The car ended up in the collection of an important Fiat/Alfa Romeo dealer in northern Italy, Brinobet. In his hands the car participated in the Mille Miglia, was registered with a gold label ASI documents (automotoclub storico Italiano), and got a Fiva international passport.
It stayed in his collection until the year 2002 when I acquired it.
- Condition of the car:
Just fully serviced by an 8V expert, his particular 8V Rapi is in an outstanding original condition, mostly un restored and extremely well preserved. It is probably the best original series 2 Rapi still in existence which adds definitely extra value to the car.
The car never needed any restoration work to the body and retains all it’s original panels. Apart from a paint job long time ago – somewhere in the sixties and not recently !) – no work was done to it, so it still remains as close to originality as one can get. The paint quality is acceptable, but not great and represents what was common to the sixties. Panel fit is excellent, doors lock in with that beautiful sound of perfection. There is absolutely no rust- or rust repairs to be found on this car. All the aluminium trim on the car is original (door and window frames, bumpers, deco’s, etc..) and even the piping and rubber parts are original. The windshield is the (rare) original split window. It has never been replaced which is quite rare as with most of the cars, they have been replaced by a one piece windshield. The side and rear windows are still the original Plexiglas ones and their mint condition tells us all about how good this car was preserved. Time hasn’t even coloured them brown, so they look new. The interior is totally original and surprisingly in excellent condition. Seats, door panels, headliner are all very nice and do not need any work. The dash board is all complete and original with all gauges in perfect working order.
The dash board is complete, totally original again and in excellent condition. All gauges are working well, no extra holes were ever drilled. The odometer shows a mere 18.000 km, and looking at the condition of the car, it would be hard to think that it did turn around already once.
The nice features such as passengers foot rest, decaled seats with the special hand grip to hold when cornering fast, the leather straps for holding tools, all is still there.
Source URL: https://maryelizabeth-winstead.blogspot.com/search/label/Fiat
