1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic by Ghia

If you’re the recent winner of the EuroMillions lottery and looking to invest a small chunk (around $2m) of your winnings into an incredibly cool looking ride this summer, this 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic by Ghia gets our vote here at The Coolector. This stunning machine has a guide price of $1.7-$2m but there is a lot of excitement around this lot, for obvious reasons, so it may well go beyond this guide price.

The 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic by Ghia from RM Sotheby’s is one of a mere 14 examples of the Supersonic-bodied 8V and it was exhibited at the 1957 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Truly a beautiful piece of automotive engineering, this 50s Fiat was originally owned by Indianapolis team owner and powerboat racing Gold Cup winner Lou Fageol so it has a good pedigree and will add a touch of old school cool to any collector’s lineup of vehicles.



This meticulous eight-year restoration was completed in 2021 and it is presented in a truly extraordinary condition that will set it apart from any classic car on the market and warrant its lofty price tag. Truth be told, it is an exquisitely presented example of Fiat’s highly desirable, jewel-like sports car and it’s not hard to see why classic car aficionados are falling over themselves to be the one that gets their hands on it when the hammer goes down on this sale.

The 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic by Ghia from RM Sotheby’s ($1.7-$2m) has a Supersonic body that first penned for an Alfa Romeo 1900 racing car, and was typified by a long front deck with a steeply raked windshield, a curved nose that led into a straight-through beltline, and small tailfins flaring off lights intended to resemble jet exhausts. Soon thereafter American designer Paul Farago ordered similar styling for an 8V chassis, and 14 more copies followed, each of them bearing minor detail differences but remaining largely true to Savonuzzi’s original dramatic design. 

Offered with a spectacular sense of flair, this glorious looking 8V remains fresh and ready for continued appearances at major concours d’elegance, being the perfect entrant for top-shelf events ranging from Villa d’Este to Pebble Beach. Also eligible for prestige driving events both in the United States and internationally, the Supersonic would surely draw a crowd at vintage tours and rallies worldwide. With its jet-age styling continually suggesting motion at rest, this 8V is a showstopper that claims significant provenance, making it a must-have for any collector of significant postwar coachbuilt sports cars.

Leo Davie