Machine for manufacturing an optical fibre, comprising: - at least one capstan (20, 21) and at least one pulley, said capstan(s) and pulley(s) defining a run of the optical fibre in a main area of said machine, said machine being characterised in that it further comprises: - an optical fibre guiding system comprising a transmission member and a clamping element, rigidly connected to said member, able to retain an end of the optical fibre, said transmission member being arranged parallel to the run of the optical fibre, - a device for the automatic gripping of the optical fibre by the clamping element, comprising: - means for positioning the optical fibre in a starting position where the optical fibre runs at a distance from the clamping element in a substantially perpendicular direction to said clamping element, - a fibre-spacing finger, that can move between a neutral position at a distance from the optical fibre in its starting position and a position where said spacing finger keeps the optical fibre at a distance from said starting position in such a way as to bring it into an intermediate position facing the clamping element, - means for opening and closing the clamping element, configured to open the clamping element when the optical fibre has been brought by the spacing finger into said intermediate position, and to close said clamping element when the spacing finger comes back to its neutral position. - at least one capstan (20, 21) and at least one pulley, said capstan(s) and pulley(s) defining a run of the optical fibre in a main area of said machine, - an optical fibre guiding system comprising a transmission member and a clamping element, rigidly connected to said member, able to retain an end of the optical fibre, said transmission member being arranged parallel to the run of the optical fibre, - a device for the automatic gripping of the optical fibre by the clamping element, comprising: - means for positioning the optical fibre in a starting position where the optical fibre runs at a distance from the clamping element in a substantially perpendicular direction to said clamping element, - a fibre-spacing finger, that can move between a neutral position at a distance from the optical fibre in its starting position and a position where said spacing finger keeps the optical fibre at a distance from said starting position in such a way as to bring it into an intermediate position facing the clamping element, - means for opening and closing the clamping element, configured to open the clamping element when the optical fibre has been brought by the spacing finger into said intermediate position, and to close said clamping element when the spacing finger comes back to its neutral position. - means for positioning the optical fibre in a starting position where the optical fibre runs at a distance from the clamping element in a substantially perpendicular direction to said clamping element, - a fibre-spacing finger, that can move between a neutral position at a distance from the optical fibre in its starting position and a position where said spacing finger keeps the optical fibre at a distance from said starting position in such a way as to bring it into an intermediate position facing the clamping element, - means for opening and closing the clamping element, configured to open the clamping element when the optical fibre has been brought by the spacing finger into said intermediate position, and to close said clamping element when the spacing finger comes back to its neutral position.