1954 Fiat 8V Berlinetta (second series, factory coachwork)
- Engine
- 2.0L narrow-angle V8, all-aluminum Tipo 104, twin Weber carburetors with ram-air intake
- Colour
- Red over tan leather
Chassis 89 is a second-series Fiat 8V berlinetta, one of 29 factory-bodied examples finished by chief designer Fabio Rapi, featuring his characteristic stacked double headlamps. Completed in early March 1954 and initially delivered to a Rome dealership, it passed to its first private owner later in 1955 and was used in local road rallies, with a documented entry in the 1957 Bologna–San Luca race. The car was rediscovered in Wisconsin in 1979, later acquired by a California collector, and subsequently underwent a full restoration in its current owner's care, emerging in red over tan leather.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$555,000
- 1954-03-01 → 1955-03-01Factory deliveryVincenzo Orsini (Rome Fiat dealership)full documentation
Rome-based dealer who took initial factory delivery; factory records and the published reference volume confirm this custodianship prior to retail sale.
- 1955-03-01 → 1960-10-01Private saleAntonio Trigliafull documentation
Rome resident who registered the car locally and participated in road rallies; ownership documented via Italian registration extract.
- 1960-10-01 →Private saleFrancesco Molinofull documentation
Final Rome-based custodian before the car surfaced in Wisconsin; transition recorded on the official registration extract.
- → 1992Acquisition unknownCalifornia-based collectorpartial documentation
California resident from whom the current consignor purchased the vehicle in 1992.
- 1992 →Private saleCurrent consignorpartial documentation
Long-term owner who commissioned a full cosmetic restoration in red over tan leather; car has been used sparingly within a broader collection.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownWisconsin-based ownerpartial documentation
Car was reportedly discovered in Wisconsin in 1979, though no named owner or acquisition detail is provided.
Competition
- 1957-04-01Bologna–San Luca point-to-pointDriver: Antonio Triglia
Only documented competitive outing for this specific chassis; Triglia also reportedly entered other local road rallies, though no records of those survive.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Restoration
Full restoration carried out during the consignor's ownership, finished in red with a tan leather interior; the car retains this presentation today.
The engine fitted is a period-correct Tipo 104 unit sourced from a contemporary Siata 208, equipped with twin Weber carburetors and a ram-air intake.
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