News & Features February 28, 2007, 3:31PM EST

Supersonic Ghia

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1953 Fiat 8V Ghia Supersonic

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These were the first Fiats with four-wheel independent suspension, and they were far more advanced than the Ferraris and Maseratis of the era.

Forty of the 114 cars built carried factory-built bodies designed by Rapi. They had the purposeful look of a racer, with a certain Art Deco charm but few (myself excluded) would call them beautiful. As to be expected, it's the coachbuilt versions that command the most interest today. Zagato built 30, some mildly modified from the factory design, most with the iconic double-bubble look for which they are known.

ZAGATO VERSIONS WON RACES

The Zagato versions also racked up many of the Otto Vu's more important competition results, including a class win in the 1955 Targa Florio and 1957 Mille Miglia. The 8V was also the overall winner of the 1956 Italian Sports Car Championship. Surprisingly, the most prolific builder of the 8V was Ghia, which clothed 50 of the sports cars in a variety of styles ranging from quite clean and sober to flamboyant.

Auto manufacturers and designers had long been fascinated with the links between cars and airplanes. In the late 1940s, with the appearance of supersonic jet fighter planes, the interest reached fever pitch. By the early 1950s, most Italian design houses were showing cars that incorporated "air intake" grilles and "jet exhaust" rear ends.

Ghia was no exception. The man who penned the Supersonic we discuss here, Giovanni Savonuzzi, was the creator of the original Cisitalia 202 streamliner coupe and Spider Nuvolari. Ghia used the Supersonic body on a number of platforms. Three Jaguar XK 120s, an Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk II, and an Alfa Romeo 1900SS shared it with the Fiat 8V, which had the largest production at eight.

8VS NEVER CHEAP OLD CARS

The Fiat 8V has, thanks to its rarity and performance pedigree, always been desirable. They never became cheap old cars, although the market for them was at one time much smaller. The 8V has also avoided the common stigma of being a really expensive car from a cheap manufacturer--not an easy feat.

Modern techniques and analysis have also made the cars more reliable and more powerful. Knute Kolemann is acknowledged as an 8V guru. The Prescott, Arizona-based engine builder has assembled engines for Fiats and Siatas that can deliver up to 160 hp and run up to 7,000 rpm without issues, thanks to improved oil circulation and tolerances. They are now the perfect vintage rally and race rides and a certain entry to any event in the world from the Mille Miglia Storica on down.

Chassis 39, the car sold in Geneva, is very well known in 8V circles and is acknowledged to be a superb restoration to a very high standard. With the best of the Zagato-bodied cars selling for $500,000, it's not surprising this Ghia example brought a similar price, as the Supersonic is arguably one of the most beautiful shapes to drape the chassis. Although the price was high, I would have to consider it right on the money

Years Produced: 1952–55

Number Produced: 8 (114 total 8Vs)

Original List Price: $4,000–$6,000

SCM Valuation: $200,000–$500,000 (Depending on coachwork) (at time of print)

Tune-up Cost: $400–$600

Distributor Caps: $800

Chassis #: 106 000039

Chassis # Location: Firewall as well as on chassis plate

Engine # Location: On cylinder block, distributor side on boss

Club Info: None

Alternatives: 1953 Siata 208 Coupe, 1954 Maserati A6G2000 Coupe, 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900SZ

Investment Grade: B