About tough to crack car puzzle #176: Fiat 8V Vignale

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All the recent website caused some troubles with the security program, which led to more troubles with sending in answers to last week’s car puzzle. Fortunately our die-hard puzzlers knew how to reach us and so we received several answers by e-mail. Sorry for the inconvenience guys, but we’re glad you managed to reach us in the end. Well done for that.

Over to the actual puzzle. This was, indeed, a Fiat 8V coachbuilt by Vignale in 1955. Vignale built 9 or 10 Otto Vus, including this Michelotti designed one. It was shown in Turin and driven (and retired) in the ’55 Mille Miglia by a man named Mario Bonacia for Scuderia Madunina of Milano. From there it went to California in 1958 and, as Luc Reyckaert writes: “Where it seriously deteriorated and even received a Chevy engine. New owner Dan Simpson found the original engine and in 1994 had the car back on the road.” All of you knew just about that, with some fun facts added. Gerd Klioba: “After the engine broke and was replaced by a four-cylinder Chevy II unit. Alan Spencer: “From 1958 till 1981, it belonged to Shelly Pfeiffer who ran the Vista Motel at June Mountain, California. Dan Simpson purchased it derelict, and found its original engine. (…) The filler cap on the right is a fake!" (spot-on, we did ask for that!).

(Pictures Jeroen Booij)

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