OSI
(Officina Stampaggio Industriale SpA) was founded in 1960 by Arrigo Olivetti
and Luigi Segre. The latter was the then owner of Ghia, and the aim of
the new company was to produce models designed by Ghia as well as production
tooling for the industry. In 1962 they became more independent and built
cars designed by various stylists, based on both Italian (see below) and
other mechanicals. In 1968 Ghia took total control of the company and the
production of cars ceased. They continued to work in other areas.
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OSI 850 Weekend
Presented at the Geneva Motorshow in 1967, the Weekend
used the mechanical parts of the Fiat 850. Two covers were available, the
simple 'summer' item seen in the illustrations below and a complete cover,
including sides, for use in more adverse weather conditions. OSI also made a coupé based on the 850 which can be seen
here.
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OSI 1200
Using the Fiat 1100 chassis and mechanicals as a basis, OSI constructed two very pretty
derivatives, a coupé and a spider. They were produced in some numbers.
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OSI Alfa Romeo de luxe
Presented
at the 1965 Turin Motorshow, this was a four-door saloon based on the Alfa
Romeo 2600 berlina. The entire mechanicals were taken from the latter car,
including the 130bhp 2584cc straight-six engine. In 1966 the de Luxe took
the more powerful 145bhp version of the engine as used in the Spider and Sprint versions of the 2600.
The car was sold officially through Alfa Romeo and
had the model designation 106.16. The engine designations were AR00600
(130bhp) and AR00601 (145bhp). A total of 54 examples were built until production stopped in 1967.
OSI Silver Fox
A strange twin-boom vehicle constructed in 1967 and
shown at the Turin Motorshow of that year, the Silver Fox was aimed at
competition (Group B6) and at record attempts. It was powered by a 1000cc
Renault Alpine four-cylinder unit positioned obliquely behind the seat
in the left-hand boom. Between the two booms were three wing-shaped aerodynamic
aids, the front one was adjustable with the vehicle static, the large central
one was equipped with a wing adjustable when driving, whilst the rear one
was fixed and included aerodynamic brakes.
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Click here for a cutaway of the Silver Fox and a section showing the aerodynamic aids.
OSI Secura
A concept car aimed at improving the safety of road
vehicles, the Secura was jointly developed by OSI and Quattroruote and used Fiat 1500 mechanicals.
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OSI Alfa Romeo Giulia Scarabeo
Designed
for low-volume production, the Giulia Scarabeo emerged first in 1966. Clearly
with competition in mind, it used a transverse Giulia GTA 1570cc engine
(dohc 4-cyl with 115bhp @ 6,00rpm) mounted behind the two seats. The rear
wheels were driven through an angled shaft, the rear suspension used transverse
arms with coilover units, whilst the disc brakes were inboard. The front
suspension used a similar independent system and disc brakes, though outboard.
Steering was rack and pinion whilst the fuel was stored in the large diameter
tubes which formed parts of the chassis structure. The body was made of
a composite plastic fitted to a welded tubular and plate chassis which
gave a weight of 700kg. The wheelbase was 2150mm (front/rear tracks : 1310mm/1320mm)
whilst the total height was only 1020mm.
A
total of three cars were built, two coupes (the first with right-hand-drive,
the second with left-hand-drive) and a single spider version. The second
coupe can be seen in the Alfa Romeo Museo at Arese.
Below left is the first version, released
at the Paris Motorshow of 1966. Below right is the second version.
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OSI 1100R Spider
This
Fiat 1100R based spider was shown at the 1966 Geneva Motorshow.
OSI Fiat 125 Familiare
The
Turin Motorshow of 1967 saw OSI displaying this estate car based on the
Fiat 125. The load area was increased by redesigning the fuel tank.
OSI Cross Country
OSI entered the more serious 'off-road' market at the The Turin Motorshow of 1966. Their new offering, the Cross Country, was
based around the Fiat 124, but with major changes. The wheelbase was shortened to 2020mm and the whole chassis strengthened. The rear axle was
a Fiat Campagnola unit, complete with locking differential. Obviously, a competely new body, including removable doors and hood, was used.
Links
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