Superba
The Italian 1929 OM 665 SSMM Superba race car. The firm OM, which stands for Officine Meccaniche, was founded in 1899 in Milan. It came into being as a result of the merger of two firms that were active in the production of railway locomotives and rolling stock. OM's involvement with car manufacturing began in 1917 when it purchased the Roberto Zust factory in Brescia. (A Zust 28/45 HP participated in the 1908 New York to Paris Race, won by a Thomas Flyer, and finished third.) Their first car appeared in 1918, and it had a close resemblance to the Zust. The punitive taxation system on Italian manufacturing was based on engine capacity, which dictated the need to get the most power out of 'nominal' engine sizes.
This famous OM factory team car is the supercharged 665 SS MM model with the larger 2.3-liter 6 cylinder engine, finned cylinder heads and dual water manifold pipes. It was driven in its racing debut to first in class and fifth overall in the 1930 Mille Miglia by Aldo Bassi and Carlo Gazzabini. The Mille Miglia was a thousand-mile race first held in December 1926. The event began and finished in Brescia and ran a 'figure of eight' course down to Rome and back. It was won with a 1-2-3 finish by Brescia-based car manufacturer, OM.
The racing events with which these cars competed required four-seater sports touring bodies. It is believed that this car, and others, would have been sent to Milan, where local coachbuilders Carrozzeria Sport modified its existing coachwork or else replaced it with the four-seater lightweight touring bodywork that it needed to be eligible for the race.
This important race car sold at auction in 2014 at auction for just under $2 mil!!!!
OM was taken over by the Fiat Group in 1938 and in the following year passenger car production ceased, and OM became a commercial vehicle and train part manufacturer.
Double click on image to enlarge for details.
AS ALWAYS....COMMENTS & INVITATIONS with AWARD BANNERS will be respectfully DELETED!
Superba
The Italian 1929 OM 665 SSMM Superba race car. The firm OM, which stands for Officine Meccaniche, was founded in 1899 in Milan. It came into being as a result of the merger of two firms that were active in the production of railway locomotives and rolling stock. OM's involvement with car manufacturing began in 1917 when it purchased the Roberto Zust factory in Brescia. (A Zust 28/45 HP participated in the 1908 New York to Paris Race, won by a Thomas Flyer, and finished third.) Their first car appeared in 1918, and it had a close resemblance to the Zust. The punitive taxation system on Italian manufacturing was based on engine capacity, which dictated the need to get the most power out of 'nominal' engine sizes.
This famous OM factory team car is the supercharged 665 SS MM model with the larger 2.3-liter 6 cylinder engine, finned cylinder heads and dual water manifold pipes. It was driven in its racing debut to first in class and fifth overall in the 1930 Mille Miglia by Aldo Bassi and Carlo Gazzabini. The Mille Miglia was a thousand-mile race first held in December 1926. The event began and finished in Brescia and ran a 'figure of eight' course down to Rome and back. It was won with a 1-2-3 finish by Brescia-based car manufacturer, OM.
The racing events with which these cars competed required four-seater sports touring bodies. It is believed that this car, and others, would have been sent to Milan, where local coachbuilders Carrozzeria Sport modified its existing coachwork or else replaced it with the four-seater lightweight touring bodywork that it needed to be eligible for the race.
This important race car sold at auction in 2014 at auction for just under $2 mil!!!!
OM was taken over by the Fiat Group in 1938 and in the following year passenger car production ceased, and OM became a commercial vehicle and train part manufacturer.
Double click on image to enlarge for details.
AS ALWAYS....COMMENTS & INVITATIONS with AWARD BANNERS will be respectfully DELETED!