Vignale OSCA (zoom in on this Italian beauty)
The OSCA Story
In 1937, Ettore and Ernesto Maserati were forced to sell Maserati after financial turmoil. However, the contract with the new Maserati owner Adolfo Orsi meant that the brothers had to remain with their former company for a ten-year term. In 1947 they were finally free to go their own way; Officine Specializzata Costruzioni Automobili, (aka OSCA) Fratelli Maserati was founded and the first vehicle type, the MT4, was built. In its original form, the chassis and engine were based on the Maserati Tipo 4CL single-seater racing car, first built in 1939. Development of the MT4 began immediately, using plans and parts from the Maserati 4CL. In all, OSCA built 77 chassis between 1949 and 1956.
OSCA's first automobile was the MT4, for Maserati Tipo 4 cilindri. The initial cars used a Fiat 1100 block and the engine developed 55 hp (40 kW). OSCA soon developed a new 1,092 cc engine, which produced 72 PS (53 kW; 71 hp) at 6,000 rpm, had a in-house designed aluminum block and alloy head. Some sources state that 9 cars were built with 1.1-liter engines. Originally a single-cam design, in 1950 this was changed to a twin-cam unit, indicated by using the name MT4-2AD, with "2AD" signifying 2 Alberi di Distribuzione (twin camshafts). The 2AD was originally available as an 1100 or a 1350. The bore and stroke changed over the years and to allow competing in various classes, meaning that the displacement of the engines increased from 1092 cc via 1342 cc and then 1453 cc until finally reaching 1492 cc. The four-speed quick-shift gearbox was also an in-house design. The bodywork on early models was a two-seater roadster with or without cycle fenders, lights, and the various other accoutrements required to make it street legal. OSCA only supplied the chassis; the bodies were manufactured by Italian bodywork companies (or in some cases, by the buyers themselves) to the requirements of the individual buyers. Modifications and changes to keep cars competitive or due to changes in taste means that few preserved cars look much like each other.
While the original barchetta design was factory built, coachworkers such as Morelli, Moho, Vignale, and Pietro Frua soon supplanted the in-house design. In addition to the barchettas, a few examples were built with berlinetta bodies by Frua and Vignale. A Vignale-bodied MT4 Berlinetta won in the 1,100 cc class at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Vignale OSCA (zoom in on this Italian beauty)
The OSCA Story
In 1937, Ettore and Ernesto Maserati were forced to sell Maserati after financial turmoil. However, the contract with the new Maserati owner Adolfo Orsi meant that the brothers had to remain with their former company for a ten-year term. In 1947 they were finally free to go their own way; Officine Specializzata Costruzioni Automobili, (aka OSCA) Fratelli Maserati was founded and the first vehicle type, the MT4, was built. In its original form, the chassis and engine were based on the Maserati Tipo 4CL single-seater racing car, first built in 1939. Development of the MT4 began immediately, using plans and parts from the Maserati 4CL. In all, OSCA built 77 chassis between 1949 and 1956.
OSCA's first automobile was the MT4, for Maserati Tipo 4 cilindri. The initial cars used a Fiat 1100 block and the engine developed 55 hp (40 kW). OSCA soon developed a new 1,092 cc engine, which produced 72 PS (53 kW; 71 hp) at 6,000 rpm, had a in-house designed aluminum block and alloy head. Some sources state that 9 cars were built with 1.1-liter engines. Originally a single-cam design, in 1950 this was changed to a twin-cam unit, indicated by using the name MT4-2AD, with "2AD" signifying 2 Alberi di Distribuzione (twin camshafts). The 2AD was originally available as an 1100 or a 1350. The bore and stroke changed over the years and to allow competing in various classes, meaning that the displacement of the engines increased from 1092 cc via 1342 cc and then 1453 cc until finally reaching 1492 cc. The four-speed quick-shift gearbox was also an in-house design. The bodywork on early models was a two-seater roadster with or without cycle fenders, lights, and the various other accoutrements required to make it street legal. OSCA only supplied the chassis; the bodies were manufactured by Italian bodywork companies (or in some cases, by the buyers themselves) to the requirements of the individual buyers. Modifications and changes to keep cars competitive or due to changes in taste means that few preserved cars look much like each other.
While the original barchetta design was factory built, coachworkers such as Morelli, Moho, Vignale, and Pietro Frua soon supplanted the in-house design. In addition to the barchettas, a few examples were built with berlinetta bodies by Frua and Vignale. A Vignale-bodied MT4 Berlinetta won in the 1,100 cc class at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans.