Best known for their four-cylinder engined city cars, Fiat briefly produced a V8-engined sports car during the early 1950s. It was aptly dubbed the 8V or 'Otto Vu' because Fiat believed Ford had patented the V8 name. The very first examples were bodied by the factory but later in the production run, Fiat made rolling chassis available for specialist coachbuilders to cloth. Among the most prolific and successful of these is the 8V Zagato Coupe of which around two dozen were built. The lightweight and slippery body made the Zagato bodied cars particularly successful in racing. Among the three featured examples is the very car that won its class in the Mille Miglia of 1957.
The 8V was not cheap and Fiat struggled to find sufficient buyers. Siata offered a helping hand by creating a car of their own around the two-litre V8 engine. Among the most famous of these is the 208 S Motto Spider. Most of these striking roadsters were sold to the United States where they were often raced. The example highlighted today was bought new by a San Diego fireman, who also raced it. Since then, it has had a very colourful history and it has only recently been restored to its original glory.
Especially for the British market, MINI has created the John Cooper Works Challenge. Limited to just 100 examples, it uses the same drivetrain as the 'regular' John Cooper Works. It stands out instead due to further refined suspension, which allows the Challenge to handle even better both on the road and track.

Enjoy the links:

1953 - 1955 Fiat 8V Zagato Coupe - Images, Specifications and Information

2016 MINI John Cooper Works Challenge - Images, Specifications and Information

1952 - 1954 Siata 208 S Motto Spider - Images, Specifications and Information