1954 O.S.C.A. MT4-2AD 1500

In 1937, following a period of financial difficulty, Ettore, Ernesto and Bindo Maserati sold the company bearing their family name to the industrialist Adolfo Orsi. Under the terms of the agreement, the brothers remained with Maserati for a further ten years, continuing to contribute their considerable technical experience to the Modena manufacturer. Once this contractual commitment had expired, they returned to San Lazzaro di Savena, near Bologna, where in 1947 they founded Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili, better known as O.S.C.A. The new company was established to produce lightweight competition cars in limited numbers. Without the financial resources of a major manufacturer, the Maserati brothers concentrated on small-displacement sports cars whose performance would depend upon low weight, mechanical refinement and handling rather than outright power. Their first model was the MT4, its designation standing for Maserati Tipo 4 cilindri. Introduced in 1948, the MT4 was initially conceived for the 1,100 cc racing category. Its construction reflected the brothers’ extensive competition experience and retained some of the principles employed in the Maserati A6GCS, one of the last cars developed during their time at Maserati. The MT4 featured a lightweight tubular chassis, independent front suspension by unequal-length wishbones and a live rear axle. Its compact four-cylinder engine was developed from Fiat-based origins, while the open two-seater bodywork followed the essential barchetta format required of a purpose-built sports-racing car. The MT4 first appeared in competition during the 1948 season. Following an early outing at the Coppa Acerbo at Pescara, Luigi Villoresi drove the new O.S.C.A. to victory at the Grand Prix of Naples. This immediate success demonstrated the effectiveness of the brothers’ approach and marked the beginning of an exceptional competition career. Giulio Cabianca was among the first private drivers to recognise the car’s potential and contributed to a growing series of victories that established O.S.C.A. as a formidable presence in the smaller-capacity classes. Throughout the first half of the 1950s, the MT4 was continuously developed. Engine capacity increased and increasingly sophisticated cylinder heads were introduced, while the chassis and bodywork were adapted to suit different circuits, categories and customer requirements. The original single-overhead-camshaft engine was followed by the twin-cam MT4-2AD, and successive versions competed with capacities ranging from approximately 1.1 to 1.5 litres. In its ultimate form, the engine displaced 1,491 cc and was equipped with twin ignition. The combination of modest dimensions, low weight and highly developed mechanical components made the MT4 one of the most effective sports-racing cars of its generation. Its greatest international achievement came at the 1954 12 Hours of Sebring, where the 1.5-litre MT4 entered by Briggs Cunningham and driven by Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd won the race outright, defeating numerous larger and more powerful cars. Most MT4s were built as open two-seaters, with many receiving lightweight aluminium coachwork by Morelli of Ferrara. Other chassis were clothed by specialist coachbuilders including Frua and Vignale, which also produced a small number of berlinettas and individual interpretations. As was common among actively raced cars of the period, several MT4s were subsequently modified, re-engined or rebodied in order to remain competitive in changing racing categories. Produced in relatively small numbers between 1948 and the mid-1950s, the MT4 became O.S.C.A.’s most numerous and successful model. It established the technical principles and competitive reputation upon which the company built its subsequent range of sports cars and single-seaters, powered by four-, six- and twelve-cylinder engines of widely differing capacities.

The most significant development of the MT4 was the adoption of a new twin-overhead-camshaft cylinder head, identified by the suffix 2AD, standing for “due alberi di distribuzione”. This solution replaced the single-overhead-camshaft arrangement of the original MT4 and considerably improved the breathing and performance of O.S.C.A.’s compact four-cylinder engine. The MT4-2AD retained the light and straightforward construction of the original model but introduced an engine featuring an all-aluminum cylinder block and DOHC cylinder head. Fed by twin Weber carburettors, it combined high specific output with the flexibility required for sports-car racing, where the same basic design could be adapted to different capacity classes. The 2AD engine first appeared in 1,092 cc form and was progressively developed through changes to its bore and stroke. Variants of 1,342 cc and 1,453 cc were produced, followed by an ultimate version of approximately 1.5 litres. Power outputs differed according to displacement, compression ratio, carburettor specification and the requirements of individual customers. The later engines also benefited from further refinements, including twin-spark ignition on certain 1,500 cc versions. Rather than representing a single fixed specification, the MT4-2AD designation therefore identified a developing family of closely related sports-racing cars. Engines could be rebuilt or enlarged during their competition careers, while chassis were frequently updated and fitted with new or modified bodywork. Consequently, the specification recorded for an individual MT4-2AD at a particular date may not correspond either to its original configuration or to that in which it survives today. The MT4 adaptability enabled the model to remain competitive for several seasons and established O.S.C.A. as one of the leading constructors of small-displacement sports-racing cars during the 1950s.

This O.S.C.A. MT4 was the official car for the French racing car driver Louis Chiron in the Carrera Panamericana of 1954. He came in third in his class. It was sold in early 1955 to Giulio Cabianca, from Verona, who ranked sixth in his class in the Giro di Sicilia, withdrew from the Mille Miglia, and finally was first in its class and second overall in the Circuito del Mugello. In that year the car also came third overall, second in its class in the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti in the Italian Alps. Morelli redid the body during the winter to look like the 1956 model. And in the Mille Miglia of 1956 it came first in its class, beating Porsche. It is highly probable that this is the car that took Cabianca to triumph in the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti and the Giro delle Calabrie as both first places overall were won by Cabianca.