OSCA MT4 2AD 1500 Vignale Coupe | FerrariChat

OSCA MT4 2AD 1500 Vignale Coupe

Discussion in 'Other Italian' started by Lemke, Jul 3, 2008.

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  1. Lemke

    Lemke F1 Rookie

    Oct 27, 2004
    4,644
    Vancouver, WA
    Full Name:
    Daniel
    #1 Lemke, Jul 3, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  2. Miltonian

    Miltonian F1 Veteran

    Dec 11, 2002
    5,966
    Milton, Wash.
    Full Name:
    Jeff B.
    #2 Miltonian, Jul 3, 2008
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2008
    According to Classic & Sportscar, April 2002:

    "A sensational OSCA coupe has been discovered in Switzerland, still with the man who bought it off the factory stand at the Turin Show in 1955. A German OSCA enthusiast spotted a photo of the car in Orsini/Zagari's definitive book on the Bologna-based marque, spent five years tracking down the mystery Vignale-bodied jewel, and eventually persuaded the owner to sell this fantastically original one-off. As well as untouched black paint and red leather trim, the new buyer reports that fitted luggage, tools and mint handbooks are still with the car. This late production Tipo MT4 was styled by Giovanni Michelotti while working freelance for Carrozzeria Vignale in Turin. The Maserati brothers were so pleased with the black beauty they decided to place it center stage on the factory stand at the Salone dell'Automobile in Turin. The design featured the MT4's distinctive grille but with inset spotlights and racy bug deflector across the bonnet. Power is from a gorgeous 1100cc dohc 'four' which powered Moss and Lloyd to victory in the '54 Sebring 12 hour race."

    This is apparently OSCA MT4 #1153.
     
  3. biz5300

    biz5300 Formula Junior

    Oct 27, 2007
    742
    Germany
    Full Name:
    n h
    hello there.. Indeed, you have immaculate taste.. Its beutiful and the most original Berlinetta MT4 there is ....
    It cant have been TOO hard to track down as I saw as a teenager in the museum in Rheinpfelden in Switzerland where it was on display in 1976, (owner Walter Grelle then I think), until the beginning of this century.. It was sold at Christies Retromobile auction 2005
    Indeed chassis 1153 but first owner (Orsini Zagari) Jean Claude Abreau in France...
     
  4. Lemke

    Lemke F1 Rookie

    Oct 27, 2004
    4,644
    Vancouver, WA
    Full Name:
    Daniel
    Thanks for the compliment. I like to think I have different tastes then most 22 year olds. I was just wasting a few time when I came across this car and my jaw dropped.
    Here is what ultimate carpage had to say about it:

    Even though their cars were highly successful on the track, the three surviving Maserati brothers struggled financially, especially in the second half of the 1930s. Reluctantly, they were forced to sell their factory to Adolfo Orsi in 1937. One of the conditions of the sale's agreement was that the brothers would continue to work for the company for a period of ten years. Orsi's financial support allowed them to develop the two-time Indy winning 8CTF and the highly advanced 4CL. Nevertheless they decided to leave the company when the ten year term was over. The brothers craved for independence and full control and found that by establishing a new company; l'Officine Specialzate Costruzione Automobili Fratelli Maserati, or OSCA for short.

    With only limited financial means available, the three brothers had to take altogether more modest approach compared to the high-tech Maseratis they had previously produced. They created the MT4 (Maserati Tipo 4) sports racer, aimed at the highly popular sub-1100 cc class. The chassis consistent of two tubular steel side members and was suspended by double wishbones at the front and a live rear axle. Power came from a four cylinder engine, which was very similar to the 6-cylinder engine the brothers had been working on before leaving Maserati. The aluminum, single overhead camshaft powerplant was fitted in the chassis mated to a four speed gearbox. The OSCA MT4 was delivered as a rolling chassis for custom coachbuilders to body and the first cars sported a cycle fender style body and were known as 'Siluro'.

    The new 'Maserati' debuted in the 1948 Pescara Grand Prix in the hands of the well funded, but not so talented Franco Carnacchia. At the second outing the nimble OSCA was piloted by Luigi Villoresi, who promptly drove it to victory in the Napels GP against much larger engined competition. This result did the meticulously prepared MT4 justice and established OSCA as a serious manufacturer. It was the start of a very long and highly successful career for the MT4, which was continuously developed. The first modification was a slight displacement increasement to 1340 cc. After nine examples were constructed, the Maserati brothers introduced a new twin cam head late in 1949. All subsequent MT4s received this head and the 2AD (twin camshaft) type name.

    Initially offered in 1090 and 1340 cc form, the MT4 continued to dominate the smaller displacement classes in events all over Europe and later also in the United States. The cycle fender body had been replaced by an all-enveloping, usually built Morelli. In 1953 a 1450 cc engine was introduced and finally a 1490 cc twin-spark engine in 1954. Producing upward of 130 bhp, these MT4 2AD 1500s were true giant slayers. OSCA's finest hour came in 1954 when Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd, drove a 1500 MT4 to an overall victory in the Sebring 12 Hours against Ferraris, Lancias and Cunninghams with engines two, three and over four times the MT4's displacement. When production finally ceased in 1957 around 80 examples of the MT4 were constructed.

    On paper the OSCA MT4 might not look very impressive, the superb design and exceptional build quality made it the car to beat in the sub-1500 cc class for almost a decade. With class wins in every major race, it is without a doubt the most successful racing car ever constructed by the Maserati brothers. For many years the OSCAs seemed completely forgotten, but in recent years a renewed appreciation for the marque has seen prices rise rapidly. Today the MT4 is the most valuable of the so-called 'Etceterinis' built in Italy in the late 1940s and 1950s. No two examples are the same thanks to the variety of engine configurations and the even larger number of bodystyles fitted.

    Surprisingly few MT4s were used by custom coachbuilders as show cars; the owners were probably too busy racing. One of the rare exceptions is the feature Giovanni Michelotti penned Vignale coupe, which was first shown at the 1955 Turin Show. After its show duties, the attractive coupe was sold to a French enthusiast, who rarely used it. In the 1970s, the Vignale bodied MT4 was acquired by a Swiss collector. Still completely original and in very good condition, the OSCA changed hands again in 2000. In 2005, it was one of the stars of Christie's Retromobile auction when it sold for well over $500,000. It is shown above at the 2003 European Concours d'Elegance and during the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
    The link with more pictures and info:
    http://www.***************.com/car/3376/OSCA-MT4-2AD-1500-Vignale-Coupe.html
     

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